The Wolf Within Us
by wolfiepower
Summary: Since the battle with the Crooked Man Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans.
1. Chapter 1

**The Wolf Within Us**

_Since the battle with the Crookedman Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans. _

AN/ Hi, this is my first try at fanfiction of any kind so do not expect Jane Austen. English's also _not_ my native language, a factor you will most likely discover if you decide to read the story below. You're free to point out errors and give criticism (as long as they're said in a kinda nice way), as it helps me get better at writing!

About the story, let me just say that it will be spoilers mentioned from _**all**_ the episodes, and that _this_ story takes place some weeks after the last episode in TWAU.

S_o just relax n' let it go… And just enjoy the show:_

Disclaimer: No characters below belong to me :'(

* * *

><p>"Tell me."<p>

"No."

"Bigby..." Colin looked at Bigby with a frown on his face. Or if a pig could frown this would be it. "It's only going to get worse you know, sometimes it helps to open up… Or so I heard anyway."

Bigby sighed and put his head in his hands, feeling for the first time in many years almost desperate.

"It won't go away just because I", Bigby gestured with his hand towards the pig standing in front of him. "Open up."

"Maybe it'll get easier…"

"NO", Bigby crossed his arms over his chest afraid of what they might do if he didn't.

Things had become more complicated of late. It had all started with those murders and trailed down to him doing the killing. Not a pretty sight but when nobody would take the role of the executor it seemed to fall naturally on Bigby to make the calls. And still… Not a damn soul showed any gratitude for it.

Bigby's hands almost trembled as he remembered how The Crooked Man had struggled with breath those last seconds before he'd given up what was considered life. Bigby on the other hand had an entirely different perspective of living; he had just finished an on going process a bit quicker.

Bigby's hands definitely trembled now; he steadied them by pressing his crossed arms closer to his chest.

"Come on Sheriff", Colin studied him wary. Like he measured how much he could press the issue before it backlashed at him. Surprising really, last time Bigby checked Colin didn't measure people, he just said what was on his mind ignoring the consequences.

Did he really look that out of control?

"Colin", Bigby groaned. He paused considering the results of continuing; before realising he honestly didn't give a damn. "It's gotten worse."

Colin looked him in the eyes. The eyes that at this very moment shimmered with glowing yellow, a colour that had been there since The Crooked Man's downfall. Or perhaps it was since Bloody Mary's?

"You got to tell Ms White…"

"I don't have to do anything…" Even Bigby noticed the unnatural growl that had mixed with his ordinary voice in that sentence.

If Colin had had hands he would have shown his palms in submission.

"Okay, Okay…"Colin tried to calm the Sheriff. "You don't have to tell her. Look here; I'm not going to saying anything you don't want me to. But Bigby… Something's wrong, isn't it?"

Bigby stared at the floor for some seconds, wondering if saying something to Colin would help or do it worse.

"Look here… Colin", the Wolf was gone from his voice, a good sign. "The thing is… We all have our quirks left from the homelands. I mean we've changed but we can't change our instincts." The pig just looked at Bigby, silently telling him to go on. "But even thought I've never gotten rid of the feeling that…" Bigby gave Colin a quick and searching look. Perhaps finding what he looked for as he continued. "That everyone is food."

Colin didn't show anything indicating fear, he was rather proud of himself actually. But there was nothing fooling The Big Bad Wolf, he could probably smell the fear radiating off of him. Bigby gave him a deliberate look before continuing:

"But over the years it's gotten better. A lot better actually." He paused and his eyes drifted of as a thought of Snow crossed his mind, she would judge him, she'd always done. But frankly she was the only one he'd never seen as food, not even now, when everyone that walked around seemed to appetising to resist.

"Soo..." Colin's voice pulled Bigby abruptly from his thoughts. "Since the business with The Crooked Man, you…"

"Yes", Bigby interrupted. "To much blood wakes up old habits."

Colin considered this for a moment, perhaps to much killing was a big factor as well. Better not mention that trail of thought.

Bigby seemed to have calmed down, even thought his eyes still shimmered with that glowing yellow that seemed to scare the shit out of everybody, his body had somewhat relaxed. Well his hands trembled slightly but of late his hands seemed to do little else, except holding one of damn Huff 'n Puffs.

"So now you know, and what good will that do you? Perhaps you finally take up on my advice to go to the fucking farm. At least you won't have a bloodthirsty wolf as your roommate." Bigby felt the wolf growl return in the end of that sentence. He occupied his hand by taking out a cigarette to light.

"Ha", Colin gave him his pig version of a smile. "You're not getting rid of me that easy, so what if it's gotten worse? As long as you're not attacking people on random the farm is far worse than this!"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Colin quickly went away to his usual hiding spot in Bigby's closet while Bigby put out his cigarette pleased that the nicotine had calmed the tremors in his hands.

On the other side of the door was someone he really hadn't expected he would ever see again.

"Hi excuse me for disturbing this late, but have I come to…" Detective Brannigan stopped talking as soon as she laid eyes on Bigby's ruffled appearance. At the sight of the NYPD detective Bigby remembered a night he rather would have left forgotten, the night when he was certain that he'd lost Snow White for good.

"YOU", she all but screamed as she pushed her way into Bigby's small apartment. Bigby was half stunned with shock as he felt the tremors return to his hands undoing the nicotine's magic.

"Fuck", he mumbled to himself as he closed the door turning to face the detective. Brannigan stood in the middle of the flat as her head spun around to take everything in. Everything from the files on his desk to the faint blood marks on the couch and the floor. She then looked up facing Bigby. He wasn't surprised that she shrunk back after looking him in the eyes. The yellow didn't seem to go away and had been there since the fight with Bloody Mary. And a yellow that Fables found intimidating was downright frightening for mundies. But detective Brannigan seemed to have a strong backbone as she persisted stared back at Bigby, yellow eyes or not.

"Do you care to explain to me what is going on?!" Brannigan's eyes shot daggers as she crossed her arms over her chest angrily.

"I don't know what you're talking about", Bigby replayed with ease. She gave him a hard stare and began pacing back and forth in the small apartment.

"People keep saying that, all the FUCKING time. But you know what? I'm done getting that crap, I know that there's something going on and I know you're in on it!" She stopped her ranting and gave him a pointed stare. "So just do us both a favour and skip the crap! Maybe it's just me that thinks it's suspicious that a whole police station wakes up after being unconscious for the last three hours, but damn suspicious it is."

Bigby simply crossed his arms, as much a defensive pose as a mean to stop his hands from trembling. Why couldn't they just stop tremble, he thought as he watched Brannigan stare at him with absolute fury written on her face. She obviously expected a confession from him, but that was one confession he wasn't ready to make today.

"Sorry, but I don't know you Ms..?"

Brannigan didn't answer him just held her grounds. Bigby sighed tiredly as he made his way over to the door opening it up.

"Now if you excuse me, this is my apartment and I don't remember giving my permission for _you_ to enter it. So if you may be so kind?"

Brannigan stared at Bigby with burning eyes. She started to say something but no sound came out of her mouth, Bigby recon that she had one of the fit rages that usually threw him over the edge. She crossed her arms over her chest before uncrossing them; clearly building up to something Bigby didn't feel like facing today. She already seemed to small and fragile not to be broken, making noise would only annoy, not change that.

"DO YOU THINK THAT I WOULD JUST LEAVE? DO YOU…"

"I DON'T _FUCKING_ CARE! LEAVE! NOW!" Bigby did indeed not care about how she flinched at his roar or how she visually paled as his appearance lost a bit of its humanity. All he wanted was for her to leave, and fast.

But even thought most fables would have jumped at the chance to flee when Bigby was about to go from sheriff to wolf, humans didn't seem to have that survival instinct. Not this one anyway.

With a shake on her head, barley visible to the naked eye, the detective held her ground.

Stupid, stupid… _prey_.

Bigby slammed the door shut with a bang, loud enough for whole of New York to hear. The prey shivered and the smell of fear thickened in the air, this was only going to take a moment.

As Bigby took a step towards the quivering remains of a confident woman Brannigan's instinct finally kicked in as she drew her service weapon from its hidden holster.

"Now look here, sir. I need you to back away from me immediately and just start to answer some of my god damn questions! I don't like people fucking around with my life…" She had a steady aim at Bigby's heart. The pray… no Brannigan would pay for that. "And I'm sure you hate me coming here fucking up yours. So just take it easy and I'll take it ea…"

Brannigan's gun was separated from her hands as Bigby's quick backhand made her wrists burn of the sudden hit. As Brannigan looked at Bigby stunned and confused of the sudden action (which probably had been to fast for her human eyes) Bigby seized the opportunity to grab the detective by her throat and pressing her up against the closest wall.

Bigby felt himself fighting his instincts, but knew it was a losing battle. As soon as she had aimed that gun at him she was dead meat, everything between that moment and her lifeblood painting the floor was just gameplay.

Brannigan's breath came wheezing through her mouth as Bigby's hand held her nailed to the wall, still squeezing tighter.

"Sooo…" Bigby purred to his prey. "If you had just left. We wouldn't be in this… what would you call it? Lose-Lose situation."

Brannigan's fear was literarily radiating off her as she struggled to stand on her toes to keep breathing, her arms to numb after the disarming to do any good.

Bigby grinned wolfishly at the detective.

"I mean", he continued happy. "You lose your life…"

At this Brannigan started trashing around, trying to make the wolf drop her by weak kicks and dull punches. She gave up after Bigby stopped her airflow altogether for a moment. He eased up a bit on the pressure after a while, making Brannigan's head stop spinning and taking away the black edges from her vision.

"But of course I said a Lose-Lose situation… I guess you can say that I will make people disappointed by killing you."

Brannigan's cheeks were wet with tears that didn't want to stop flowing and she thanked herself for the lack of oxygen. Otherwise she might have begged for mercy, something that was definitely useless when standing in front of death himself.

"Soooo…" The wolf of death stared at her with a bored expression, yellow eyes turning red. "Bye."

Brannigan was expecting the burning sensation of strangling; therefor she was surprised to feel a numb feeling from her right shoulder.

She looked down at it and saw red liquid colouring her white shirt.

"Oh god", she whispered, mentally preparing herself for a blow that would bring black or pain. Pain came, but only from the initial wound and not really remembering that she was suppose to flee, Brannigan sunk to the floor in a bleeding, quivering mass of a broken person.

* * *

><p>"COLIN!" Colin's body shivered and he was happy that he'd never been the target when Bigby was on a murder streak. Well it wasn't too late for that to happen just yet.<p>

"Bigby, pull your shit together mate. Think of _Ms Snow_." That got a reaction from the wolf. He glared murderous at Colin with those blood-drenched eyes glowing sinister at him.

Colin could see why people hid under their beds when Bigby was out for blood. He was still amazed that he had managed to shove away the wolf from the mudy without being severed for life.

Bigby had aimed for the mundys heart, a claw dressed hand raised in the air, ready to cut out vital organs. Quite a nightmare coming to life, not least for the mundy.

Colin gave the girl a quick look; the shock was written in her face, and the blood… let's just say that it upgraded the floorboards colour.

Well, at least there aren't any beating hearts out for display, Colin thought bitterly. But he had bigger things to worry about than a mundy, like his own life for a change.

"That was my FUCKING prey!" Bigby still had more wolf than sheriff in him at the moment but some of the steam seemed to have disappeared after mentioning Ms Snow, so Colin held onto that trail of thought.

"I know shit has been going down. I know that everyone has been ungrateful for _everything_ you have done. But Bigby you're not the monster everyone says you are. Ms Snow believes in you, hell even I believes in you, don't do anything stupid because of some mundy. I know you don't want that."

Bigby had straightened from his crouched attack pose now pacing back and forth getting back to his senses. His eyes had returned to a glimmering yellow and his appearance had stopped screaming murderer.

"Bigby think of Ms Snow", Colin saw with great pleasure the last remains of the wolf disappear from Bigby. Instinct fought back, at least for now.

"Fuck, Colin", Bigby dragged a shaking hand over his face.

He looked almost sick as he noticed the blood dripping from his other hand and the read dots that was all over his clothes.

"She had a gun at me." Bigby tried to justify his actions, probably more to himself than to Colin.

"I know", Colin answered, keeping the panicking wolf on earth.

"She shouldn't have been here, the witches ward didn't work…"

"I know", Colin interrupted. "But think about that later. For now call doctor Swineheart and make sure the mundy doesn't die."

Bigby's head snapped up at that and he glanced towards the bloody heap of a mundy on the floor. He quickly lit up a cigarette before heading over to the phone on the other side of the room. Colin went over to the mundy, trying to deduct the fatality of the wound.

It was not a pretty sight. The right shoulder was a mess of flesh and red, the blood still visually pumping out of the wound. It didn't seem like a lethal wound but there was still the risk of bleeding out, a risk getting bigger by the second.

"Bigby, could you hurry?" Bigby finished his call and went over to Colin with a look of worry and self-blame on his face.

"Is it bad?" Bigby took of his shirt using it to wrap up the wound and stopping the blood flow.

"Perhaps, when's doc coming?" Colin looked down at the already drenched shirt and wondered how much blood one could lose before it was to late.

"He said he would be right over. Usually it takes about ten minutes?"

"Then… Perhaps it is bad."

Colin didn't have to turn his head to see the look of pain on Bigby's face. Usually he didn't care when fables were concerned; most of them had it coming. But this mundy was no fable with a history of eating children or murdering ones neighbour. This was just someone being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The minutes dragged on as Colin sat beside the Sheriff who kept pressure on the wound. There was not much to say in the waiting for the doctor to arrive except a word or two for comfort when the mundy mumbled in her dazed state. She had not shrugged away from Bigby, but then again she had not questioned the talking pig, which spoke of some kind of shock.

* * *

><p>When the door was knocked on seven minutes later, Colin went to puff the door open revealing a stressed doctor Swineheart with the medicine trunk case in right hand.<p>

"Hello Colin", he greeted the pig. Colin nodded in recognition as the doctor passed by, already spotting the patient.

"So what do we have here?" Swineheart may have asked one question, but looking closer at the mundy he expected two answers from Sheriff Bigby.

Bigby removed his hands and shirt from the wound letting the doctor get a closer look at the disaster.

"She's pierced through the shoulder and probably have a bone fracture as well as blood loss from the…"

"I can see that", the doctor answered as he also noticed the start of a hand formed bruise around her throat. "But please leave the body examination to me. Just tell me what happened?"

The doctor had seen Bigby guilty before, a lot of late actually, but not like this. The sheriff cursed under his breath as he looked up in the celling with a heartbreakingly expression in his face.

"I attacked her." Bigby's voice was rough and he looked tired. Even thought the doctor just had his suspicions confirmed he still felt surprised at the confession. He let his hands work out of old habit as he nodded for the sheriff to go on.

"Well, she's a mundy and we met earlier at the case with the Crookedman. She's a mundy detective and was exposed to a memory wipe spell… She shouldn't be here, why didn't the witches spell work? And what about the wards around this building?"

The doctor frowned as he heard the story, it still didn't explain why he was sewing up a body thought.

"Go on", he told the sheriff. Bigby sighed but complied.

"She was throwing accusations around, aiming a gun at me and I…" He trailed of as he watched Swineheart work his magic. The doctor left Bigby to tell things in his own pace.

"Things haven't been easy since the case with the Crookedman. After all that… death."

Bigby stared down at the mundy on the floor.

"I haven't felt like I use to, I feel more like I did back…" He trailed of once again and the doctor filled in for him.

"Like back in the homelands?" Swineheart asked. Bigby only nodded in response and for being the most feared monster in town, the big bad wolf didn't seem all that frightening anymore. Of course the doctor knew that even thought Bigby seldom showed his true colours, cases like these came along proving that a wolf in a bad mode wasn't a wolf to mess with. This mundy just happened to stand in the line of fire without having learned how to duck.

Incidents like this one weren't rare when taking the sheriff into consideration. What was rare on the other hand was Bigby regretting it to this extent something that showed how much the recent murders affected the wolf instincts within him.

The doctor continued working with the sheriff beside him, both quiet and with a look of concentration on their faces. Even Colin kept that snout of his shut, standing far away from the mending.

"There you go", Swineheart shut his trunk case shut as he headed towards the door.

"Thank you doctor", Bigby replied nodding in approval. The doctor smiled at the sheriff briefly.

"I want you to give her the medicine and tend to her arm when she wakes up", he glanced towards the mundy. "You have to talk to Ms Snow about what to do with her when she's better. No memory wiping spells as long as she's in such a weakened condition."

"Calm down doc I think we can handle one mundy."

"Colin", Bigby sighed annoyed. The doctor gave Colin a tired look before returning his attention to the sheriff.

"I'll come by later this week to change her bandages. Until then." Doctor Swineheart gave a nod before heading out the door, leaving behind a tired wolf and an irritated pig.

* * *

><p>People were screaming at each other.<p>

That was the first thought that ran trough detective Kelsey Brannigan's head before the pain hit her.

She let out a painful cry that made the people screaming grow silent. Brannigan moved her gaze from the dark room to her shoulder that felt possessed by liquid fire, and was greeted by a lot of bandages keeping the cause of the pain hidden. She felt heavy in the head but still tried to think back about what had happened before she'd fallen into darkness. All she could recall was eyes that'd burned into hers, glowing in an evil yellow light before turning blood red. Then everything had gone black.

Brannigan's eyes swept past her shoulder and she felt herself go numb when she saw the deep red colour that had replaced her once white shirt. But it wasn't only her shoulder that hurt (even if the pain was worst there) as her throat throbbed with a dull pain every time she moved her head. The detective put two and two together and came to the conclusion that she had been attacked.

At that discovery the memories came crashing down, making her body shiver with the recalled fear.

She remembered Mr Wolf, what a fitting name now when she thought about it... After he had shown his true colours the only description of him was a monster of everything evil in this world. Before her mind had turned to blackness she'd been certain that she'd stared into the face of death himself. She couldn't stop her body from shaking and she silently wondered why she wasn't dead.

Brannigan felt a sting of pain in her heart as a thought of Tom crossed her mind. She wondered if Tom would miss her if she'd died?

He was still furious at her for not remembering about picking up Josh from the kindergarten a few weeks ago. But she had not remembered making that promise, she hadn't really remembered doing anything that evening.

And then it had been that accident at the police station earlier that day. Waking up in an empty interrogation room felt weird and if she hadn't made a habit of always writing things down during an interrogation, she might have missed the whole thing.

She'd found some notes in her scratchpad about a strange case no one (including her) remembered anything about.

Mr Bigby Wolf was stated as a witness and she'd been able to remember something obscure when hearing that name. Finding the apartment had been easy as the crime scene was scribbled down in her notes, and after seeing Mr Bigby Wolf she just knew she'd found her man.

Then things hadn't gone according to plan.

She touched her throat and felt the pain intensify at the touch. Had she been saved? Had he come to his senses? _No_, someone that out of it didn't suddenly start to think rationally.

She looked up as she heard someone approach, raising her hands protectively in front of her on instinct.

"Don't worry I want you no harm", the smooth voice calmed Brannigan as she slowly lowered her arms to see who the voice belonged to.

A very beautiful woman stood in front of her with blue eyes and a kind smile. Her hair was black and tied back in a bun while her skin was white as snow.

"My name is Snow and under your recovery I will be one of those who'll look after you."

The detective felt almost dazed as she watched the beauty in front of her speak, she could easily be some model, but her formal clothes made the detective doubt it. As the words Ms Snow had been saying to Brannigan sunk in she felt a great fear disappear as she realised she must be safe, far away from that monster that had tried to take her life. The only odd thing was that Ms Snow felt awful familiar, like she'd seen her face somewhere before.

"Have we met?" Brannigan's voice was raspy and her throat felt fragile and sour.

Snow gave her a searching look and shook her head in a negative response.

"No, Ms Brannigan I don't think so."

"Call me Kelsey, feels so formal with all this Brannigan…" She managed a weak smile directed at Ms Snow before she suddenly started couching.

The pain in her shoulder made her eyes start tearing up and a shout of hurt escaped through her lips at the sudden movement. The dull pain at her throat was barely registered as the burning sensation in her shoulder made her mind go blank. Snow put cool hands at her healthy shoulder and her forehead, steadying the detective during the violent couches.

After a while Kelsey's body stopped its violent shakes and she found herself just breathing until the pain was dulled.

"Thanks Snow", the detective whispered weakly. "That helped."

"Anytime", Snow smiled at the tiered mundy in front of her.

* * *

><p>"So Woody, care to explain why this is the fifth time I've had to separate you and Gren from one another?" Bigby all but growled that sentence in the Axe-mans face as the man in question stood in an alleyway smoking a cigarette.<p>

Bigby couldn't really get angry with the Woodsman thought. Ever since the fight with Jersey Devil they had come to one sort of truce. Gren on the other hand had made a point of doing Woody's life to a living hell since he got to know about him and Lily, meaning starting fights at sight.

"Well Wolf, what do you want me to say? I've made a mistake and it looks like it will hunt me for life? Because that's exactly what this is…" He took a smoke before continuing. "But I can't say that I regret it."

Bigby stared at the crunched figure of the once fine Woodsman and felt a sting of sympathy.

"We all have shit hunting us", Bigby replied and lit a cigarette on his own.

"It's just…" Woody said with a sad expression. "I've been an ass. To everyone Lily, Faith, Gren and Holly… And now it's to late to make things right. It's just… shit."

Woody spit out some blood before taking a drag on his cigarette. Bigby made an agreeing sound as he thought about the last hours.

After doctor Swineheart had left, Bigby had managed to move Brannigan to his couch and gently placed a pillow under her head. He couldn't help to feel troubled by everything from her scared sleep-mumbling to her bruised throat.

And then Snow had come.

He hadn't had time to inform her about the incident before she had knocked on his door to send him out on an assignment. The first thing that she'd seen was his blood drenched clothes and the second thing his glowing eyes. Snow wasn't stupid and her first question was if there were any casualties involved. The whole story was soon revealed and after a quick look at the mudy, Snow had gone from worried to furious.

Bigby and Snow's arguments had never been a pretty sight and Colin had actually fled the scene after a minute or two. It was first when the mundy started screaming that Snow sent him away telling him to come back as soon as he finished the task.

Well Woody and Gren was almost unconscious from their fight-mixed-with-drinks clash when Bigby arrived. Leaving him the simple task of separating them and fixing a taxi for Gren.

What a day.

"So…" Bigby stated as he finished of his cigarette. "Stay out of trouble?"

"You know I'll try to, Sheriff."

Woody stayed in the alley as Bigby raised his hand to call in a taxi.

"And Sheriff", the Woodsman shouted over the low rumble of traffic. "Don't overwork yourself."

Bigby smiled at that before walking over to a stopping cab. Woody should listen to his own advice for a change.

* * *

><p>Snow had listened to Kelsey's story about everything that had happened and realised one thing. She needed a memory wipe spell ASAP. But according to Bigby, Swineheart had made it clear that her mind was in no condition to handle such a spell, thus only leaving the option of waiting.<p>

Snow knew that Bigby had been… Edgy, but she had not in her wildest fantasy imagined that it was this bad.

The Crookedman business had been ugly and the dead fables were only the tip of the iceberg. Even Snow had felt a feeling of caution following her around the weeks after the case been resolved and she knew that other fables felt it too.

Beast had had a hard time concealing his… Beastlier side and Holly were in troll shape most days. Gren and Woody had been at it more times than she cared to count and it was always chaotic at the business office now days.

She needed to be able to count on Bigby, who would otherwise help her running fable town? Snow would always care about every fable but she knew that she could never get the same respect that Bigby had. But most important of all she needed him as a friend.

A soft knock on the door made Snow wake up from her thoughts as she hurried to open. Outside of the small apartment was the sheriff himself, ruffled and smelling strongly of cigarette smoke. He looked at her with those yellow eyes that make everyone uneasy, even Snow.

"How is she?"

Snow let him in before thoroughly closing the door, you never know who might be listening.

"She's fine and will probably be completely healed. The only trace will be a scar."

Bigby nodded somewhat relived.

"How did it go with Gren and the Woodsman?" Snow straightened her coat. Bigby shrugged his shoulders as he lit a cigarette.

"Same as every time. Both almost to drunk to have a proper fight but managing to create quite a mess anyway. I sent Gren home in a cab…" Bigby cut himself short as he heard a painful groan from the other room. He gave Snow a quick glance before moving towards the sound. Snow grabbed his arm before he went into the sight of the mundy.

"Are you sure? She was pretty shaken up when telling me what had happened."

"Yeah, but I got to talk to her. She's going to met me some point onward, why not now when she can't run away?" Snow nodded at that and let go of Bigby's arm. Bigby gave Snow one last searching look before turning the corner that had shielded him from Brannigan's vision.

The first thing Bigby noticed was that the mundy was in pain. A layer of sweat covered her skin and she looked like shit in her face, not mentioning the slight tremors that shook her whole body.

She might recover from this, but it was a long fucking way to get there.

The mundy looked up as she noticed Bigby's slow walk towards her. When her eyes met his she screamed.

"What's going on", Snow appeared by his side in an instant as she heard the cry of terror. Bigby took the final steps and stood beside the mundy covering her mouth with his hand.

"Shh", he whispered reducing the screaming to panicked inhalations. Brannigan didn't take her eyes of him as her whole being yelled fear and dread. Bigby could almost hear her heart doing a quickstep for him as tears had started to flow down her cheeks.

"Kelsey calm down, he won't hurt you", Snow's voice made Brannigan's eyes snap away from Bigby.

"Help", her voice sounded hoarse and broken.

It had been a long time since Bigby had gotten this kind of greeting and without taking his eyes from Brannigan he started talking in his calmest voice.

"Listen here detective", Brannigan's eyes snapped back to meet Bigby's and she whimpered at the sight of the glowing yellow. "You caught me in a bad timing last time and I wasn't myself. I won't defend my actions but trust me when I say that it won't happen again." Brannigan just shivered as she looked at Bigby with mistrust written all over her face. The sheriff sighed and stepped away from the terrified mundy who visually calmed down a notch. Snow hurriedly sat down on the edge of the couch where the mundy was resting, speaking calmly.

"Listen, no one is going to hurt you. Not Bigby, not me, no one. Can you calm down for me Kelsey? Yes that's right take deep breath, just like that…"

Snow kept encouraging the detective and soon Brannigan's heart was back to a (almost) normal rhythm. The detective gave Bigby a quick glance and turned to face Snow again.

"You don't understand", Brannigan whispered to Snow. "He's not human, can't you see his eyes? That isn't normal, there're not suppose to shine like that."

The detective was casting worried glances towards Bigby; like she thought he would get upset over her reviling this information. Bigby just sat by observing the scene in front of him.

"Listen Kelsey." Snow looked briefly at the sheriff before turning back to Brannigan. "Bigby is… Special. There's not really any other word for it. And this special strength that he has is very hard to control, like trying to stay sober when drunk…"

Great now she was comparing his wolf instincts to being intoxicated.

"So, usually Bigby doesn't have any problems with controlling it, but thing's haven't been usual for us of late."

Brannigan listened to Snow with a frown on her forehead. Probably realising that she got the simplified version of recent events.

"I want you to know that Mr Wolf didn't want you any harm, but being threatened by a gun…" At this Brannigan looked ashamed. Interesting, Bigby thought as he'd started to form a different opinion of the detective. "…He couldn't fight the instincts that comes with his unusual strength."

Brannigan looked somewhat guilt ridden even thought it was she that lay in bed (couch?) hurt.

Brannigan looked undecidedly at Snow as she bit her bottom lip.

"Look Snow, I know that I'm getting the easy story, but…" She trailed of and gave Bigby a look of regret. "I just want to say sorry for what it counts." She gave the sheriff an apologetic nod mumbling sorry.

Snow just sat at the couch with a look of surprise on her face and Bigby felt an odd feeling filling his cheats at the gesture. This must have been the first time (EVER) anyone that Bigby messed up actually apologised for his or her actions. Bigby was as stunned as Snow as Brannigan kept on talking.

"I mean I am a detective and that was a grave misuse of my service weapon… I'm usually using it as a last resource I guess I was just feeling…"

"Afraid", Bigby filled in for her.

"Yeah and with good reasons it seems", Brannigan absentminded touched her shoulder.

Snow seemed to have regained her composure as she got up from the couch and straitened her coat.

"Very well", she said looking around in the dark room. "I'll have to get going. There are probably heaps of new jobs in the Business office." Brannigan seemed to sober at that sentence, she might have apologised to Bigby, but she wasn't anywhere close on trusting him.

"Are you just going to leave me with him", the detective gestured towards the sheriff.

"Yeah hey Snow, is that really a good idea?" Bigby did not feel like babysitting a terrified mundy the whole day, especially one that had already managed to make him lose control. Snow just raised her eyebrow as she studied the two arms of the law showing doubts about her sanity.

"Listen here I will come by tomorrow morning", Snow looked down at her watch. "Oh wait, this morning. And I want you to behave until then, understood?"

Two pair of eyes watched her; one pair glowing yellow with annoyance and one pair of green grey filled with worry.

Snow just decided there and then that this would just have to work; there was no other place the mundy could stay at during her recovery. The Business office was filled with things that were to be kept away from mundy eyes, and they hadn't really rooms available for situations like these. So for the time being Bigby's apartment would be hospital for the mundy, until they could preform the memory whip spell on her.

Snow would have to get back to Swineheart about what time frame they were talking about.

"Anyway, I'll see you in some hours. Try get some sleep, and that goes for both of you", Snow concluded.

She walked out of the small apartment with a smile tugging at her lips. What only an hour ago had seemed like a disaster, didn't seem that bad all of a sudden.

Things will work out, Snow thought as she closed the door behind her.

Probably…

* * *

><p>AN If you read the story through, awesome! Hope you liked it and if you liked it so much that you want a chapter 2…? You will most likely not get it; I'm the slowest writer in history plus… I have a busy life :( . So this story is meant as an one-shot… Something to read while waiting for season 2 of TWAU (they must do a follower! Right?) Until next time… Stay Awesome, Stay _Special_!:)


	2. Chapter 2 - Played

**The Wolf Within Us**

Chapter 2 - Played

_Since the battle with the Crookedman Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans. _

AN/ Hi, here's chapter 2 of a story that was just meant for a one-shot:) I hope some people will be thrilled and a friendly warning might be that I'm not _great_ at grammar, but I'm not that _bad_ either (You might find mistakes). If you do find any errors feel free to point them out as well as leave your opinion of the story!

About the story, let me just warn you that it will be spoilers mentioned from _**all**_ the episodes, and that _this_ story takes place some weeks after the last episode in TWAU.

Disclaimer: No characters below belong to me :'(

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><p>The silence had been going on for at least half an hour.<p>

Bigby sat at his desk in his apartment, looking over files from old cases. More to have something to do rather than actually doing any detective progress as he felt Brannigan's eyes constantly burn into his back.

Bigby was used to being supervised; it was even part of his job to have people judge his actions, looking through his work for faults. Hey he was Fable town's _only_ sheriff.

But he couldn't ignore the feeling of irritation he felt because of Brannigan putting her nose in business where it didn't belong. He tried to calm himself, the memory of some hours ago still fresh in his mind. Why she hadn't tried to escape at least once was a beyond him and made him tense in the expectation of a sudden attempt. This mundy would go nowhere; he had a community to protect.

Bigby sighed for perhaps the twelfth time as he heard Brannigan move in his couch. He tried not to stiffen at the sound, but to be honest he was tens as a bowstring. Bigby felt the need to smoke stronger than he had for decades but Snow had made the point clear with that phone call a quarter ago: no smoking in front of the mundy. It was not considered polite or some shit like that, she'd also said something about lung damage.

So Bigby suffered and tried not to snap at every sound he was hearing, and that was a lot harder than it sounds.

Speaking of noises he heard a low rumble coming from the mundy on the other side of the room. He reckoned the sound to be from her stomach? She was probably hungry, but what was he suppose to do about that? Bigby weighted his options; either he would do something about this… situation. Or he could just ignore the sound and the information that was connected with it in favor of more silence.

He chose to continue looking down at his papers content with just staying as far away from the detective as possible.

Another low rumble broke the silence about five minutes later and Bigby couldn't help but groan. He really just wanted to concentrate on being in control and away from anything provoking. But this _anything_ had decided to test him once again; he only hoped that the outcome wouldn't be the same.

"So", Bigby said and stood up from his working table. "Food." Bigby went towards the phone and pressed the preinstalled number to the Thai-restaurant. He gave Brannigan a look as the dial tones came and went. She was sitting at the far end of the couch pressing herself as far away from him as possible. She still wore those big accusing eyes when she looked at him and her body held a defensive pose. These recovering days wouldn't be a stroll in the park, at least not for the Sheriff.

"Are you allergic to anything", Bigby found himself asking while waiting for the phone to be answered. Brannigan just looked at him as if he'd grown another head, and for all Bigby knew perhaps he had. He gave her a _come-on-don't-be-like-that_ look, and she slowly shook her head in a negative response. Bigby returned to doing the ordering as a nasal voice declared:

"Thai Hoas restaurant at your service."

After a quick order and a call to Flycatcher to ask if he could do him a favor and pick up the food, Bigby returned to his desk.

He had gotten trough a whole page about a stolen sword where Bluebeard was mentioned one too many times for his liking, when he heard Brannigan coughing.

If the cough had been made with more force Bigby could have overlooked it as what it sounded like, the mundy on his couch coughing. But she obviously had an agenda as the noise she had made resembled the _excuse-me_ noises Snow was found of doing.

Bigby turned in his chair and gave the detective a pointed stare; she quickly averted her eyes, probably recalling the last time she had stared into them. Gasping for breath as his hands slowly had squeezed the life out of… better not go down that trail of thought.

"Ehm", he said while scratching the back of his head, guilt burning inside of him. "Do you need something? Food will be here in twenty minutes or so…"

Brannigan just looked down at her hands as he'd talked. Perhaps thinking about when she had aimed that gun at him… perhaps she regretted not pulling the trigger. Bigby realized that Snow was mad for thinking that this was a good solution to a problem, how had she expected for this to be anything more than horrible for all parts involved? Brannigan was obviously terrified for him, not that he blamed her, he would also be terrified in her position. But the difference was that he would probably think of a plan for revenge, well he didn't know what she was thinking on… They were, after all, working in the same business; she might be smart enough to wait with her revenge until the right moment. Hopefully she wouldn't remember any of this when the right moment showed up.

Brannigan suddenly took a deep breath, like she finally grown tiered of being afraid. Bigby leaned forward in his chair, with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front. She looked torn when she finally opened her mouth.

"I don't know", she started of. She quickly met his gaze before continuing, perhaps making sure that his eyes were still yellow and not blood chillingly red. "I just don't know", she said deflated.

Bigby furrowed his eyebrows unsure what to make of that. Perhaps she didn't have the words to express herself, or perhaps she didn't have the nerve, either way this conversation was awkward.

"Ehm…" Bigby didn't feel like making a shrink session out of this but as Brannigan looked on the brink of, not exactly tears but on the brink of sanity, the sheriff would have to do an exception. After all, he was one of the causes to this… mood?

"I know things are weird… And I don't blame you for hating this situation you're in..."

"Hating?" Brannigan interrupted Bigby. "How would I not hate this situation that I am in?" She looked at him with burning eyes and Bigby knew that the shrinking session was an ongoing fact. "I don't even know why I'm not at a hospital, why you're not on your way to prison for murder attempt and why you're keeping me here?" She looked at him confused. "I don't even know if you're human!?"

Bigby felt his head hurt, this was worse than anticipated. Snow would know how to handle situations like this; even Colin would do better than him. But Snow was of to the business office dealing with everything that came with being deputy mayor and Colin; well a talking pig could hardly do the situation simpler.

Should he just spill everything out? She wouldn't remember anything after her injuries healed anyway… But there was something fishy about her being here. Still to many question marks about how she got through the wards to here and why she recognized him at sight. Had she some kind of resistance power to the witches' magic? But that was impossible right?

Bigby shook his head and dismissed his trail of thoughts as just speculations, but he would mention them to Snow for safety purposes.

But about this problem… He could always give her the easy version of everything, like Snow had done. That was probably for the best. No more of Brannigan losing her mind over problems that shouldn't matter to her and perhaps it would make his job easier. Maybe even make her not flinch when he shifted in his chair.

"Look", Bigby began as he did a quick run through his head about what he would say. "I know that this may sound crazy to you but still, I will try to tell you what I can." Brannigan nodded at that, probably realizing that it was the best offer she would get. Bigby dragged a shaking hand through his hair before beginning:

"In this building there are other people like me. We're not entirely like you but neither are we very different." Except some of us Bigby added in his head, thinking about crushed mirror-glass on the floor. "We like to handle things on our own, we take care of our people like you take care of yours. That's why we had to make your police station forget." Brannigan swallowed loudly at that and she looked scared at the end of the last sentence. Maybe she didn't like the thought that people could mix with your memories or perhaps she just remembered red eyes.

However before Bigby could continue she looked up at him with clear eyes, like she had realized something.

"You're going to remove my memories of this aren't you?" It wasn't a big jump, but it still surprised Bigby who managed to keep his poker face at the accusation. He had no ide how to answer that and it ended up with him remaining silent. Brannigan studied him for a second before mumbling to herself: "Then why haven't you done so already." It was to faint for human ears, unfortunately (as a red little lady had said long ago) Bigby had bigger ears than humans.

No ide to spoil the fun, he thought as he left Brannigan's questions hanging before continuing.

"You have my solemnly promise that you won't come…" His eyes flickered to Brannigan's shoulder as he rephrased his words. "…to any _more_ harm."

Happy with being done and over with he started to turn away from the frowning mundy detective.

"Wait", Brannigan's voice dragged him back in to the (un)finished conversation.

"What", he said tiredly. Brannigan looked at him with a funny expression, like she tried to figure something out. Well she was a detective, her job was figuring out connections and patterns. Why couldn't she have worked at a bakery?

"Please just answer this", Brannigan looked with begging eyes at the sheriff. "Why did you attack me? I know that it was stupid to aim that gun at you but after disarming me why did you try to finish the process?" She took a deep trembling breath before continuing, maybe thinking that she did a gamble by asking him this. Maybe she was right.

"I've met a lot of murders, believe me, but you doesn't follow the pattern of one. You haven't shown anything but regret after our encounter and you keep treating me like something fragile. You even ordered food because of me." She kept on looking at him, perhaps searching for signs that she was wrong. "You're not treating me like an it, you're treating me like a fellow human being. I can't see you and…" She paused a moment trying to find the right words. "The you before being the same man." Brannigan looked flustered as she continued. "Are you like The Hulk or something like that? Turning to a mindless monster when mad?"

Bigby only raised his right eyebrow; he had to look up this Hulk-thing she was talking about, half of him was convinced that it was fiction but there was always the possibility that the Hulk-thing was real.

Bigby only shrugged his shoulders.

"Perhaps it's something like that", he confirmed to a relived detective.

"Great", she said and seemed to relax for the first time since Snow walked out the door of the small apartment. What Bigby didn't mention was that his true self wasn't the one on display for the moment; his true self had been trying to kill Brannigan, enjoying the sight of raw flesh as its delicious smell that had filled his nostrils.

The doorbell rang loud and gave Bigby an excuse for getting up and turning away from the weirdly trusting detective, time to dine, but not on the mundy.

* * *

><p>Colin looked up at Jack from his hideout in a nearby janitor-room where the pig was hiding from Ms White. Jack had strolled over after awhile when seeing the pig at his refuge.<p>

Ms White was never pleased to see the unglamoured pig running around, but she was in a worse mood than usual since the mundy. Better hide with some cans of beer until things were sort of sorted. But then that Jack had to come over.

Colin had never trusted Jack, not since he'd tricked him to build a whole house of straw in the homelands. He'd sweet-talked him into doing it using words as, _quicker than wood_ and _softer than bricks_. Well it nearly got him killed, didn't matter that he got his house up first or that the straws where soft, the Big Bad Wolf had been bored and he had ended up with a house less.

Colin gave Jack an unfriendly look as he sat himself down beside the pig in the small space that was the janitor-room. Jack tried on a friendly smile, Colin only groaned irritated in response. He then opened one of the beer cans offering one to Colin who gruntingly accepted the gesture.

"So", Jack said with a _hey-there-buddy_ tone to Colin's displeasure. "Is Ms White even more out of it than usual or is it only my imagination?" Jack made the question sound casual but Colin had been fooled once and wouldn't let that happen again. The troublemaker was without doubt fishing for something.

"How should I know", Colin responded with a bored tone. Looking out through the slightly ajar door, he noticed that the line was longer than usual to the office. Must be since Ms White's absence earlier that night.

"Yeah, you know", Jack continued still sounding careless and chatty. "Since you hang out a lot with the sheriff maybe you've heard something? I mean I've stood in that line for hours without making any progress, you should have seen Gren when he came around drunk." Jack laughed when he started describing the accident that had followed.

Colin couldn't help but feel somewhat intrigued as Jack told the tale. When Bluebeard got involved Colin joined in Jack's laughter, if there was someone he disliked more than Jack it would be Bluebeard.

"And you should have seen his face", Jack gasped after a long laugh-attack. "It matched the color of his beard for once!" Colin would have wiped away his tears if he had any hands (or if he could have cried) as his stomach hurt of the giggles that had erupted from his snout. Jack reached over to offer the pig another beer can as he chuckled slightly.

Colin was in his own happy land at the moment. He hadn't had this much fun in centuries and wanted to share some adventures of his own as Jack smiled happily at the pig.

"Well, you should have seen the mess in Bigby's apartment", Colin said in a conspiring voice. He knew somewhere deep inside that this was probably exactly what Jack had been after but couldn't bring himself to stop. Perhaps he was just thirsty for a real conversation, not just the usual snappy comments exchange between him and Bigby. "You remember the Crooked Man right? When _fake-Snow_ was found on the steps by the mundies Crane used one of those memory wipe spells on the whole mundy-police station. Well, not all mundies forgot. You should have seen Bigby, even bringing out goose bumps on me." Colin paused to lap up some more beer as he sighed content.

"Oh, so a mundy actually managed to resist the witches magic? Must be hell of a mundy."

Colin only shrugged his pink shoulders as he grunted in denial.

"Not really, but she must have the brains since she's a mundy sheriff", Colin felt a fuzzy feeling in his head, must be the beer.

"And", said Jack with an innocent expression. "Have they tried to wipe her memory once again? Or…"

"No", Collin looked at Jack with humored eyes. "That's what I was going to say. You know since the Crooked Man, things have been itchy, to say the least." Jack nodded affirmative as the pig continued. "But for the Biiig Baaad Wolf, things have been hell." Colin looked triumphal at Jack who furrowed his brows in confusion.

"You mean that Bigby have done the Bad Wolf act more than usual? But seriously Colin it's not like he attacks fables on random..."

"Perhaps not on random." Colin interrupted with narrowed eyes. "But believe me when I say that I have never seen Bigby act on his true nature to this extent before. I would not recommend to get on his wrong side right now." Colin seemed lost in thoughts as Jack dropped his façade and a thoughtful look replaced his cheerful smile.

Jack had things to plan and money to earn and this information… was gold worth.

* * *

><p>Snow knocked at the shabby door declaring Bigby Wolf's apartment. She had questioned her decision more times than she cared to count and had ended up staying up the whole night working overtime. Mostly due to her lost hours guarding the mundy but also to have something to occupy her mind with.<p>

She only hoped that she wouldn't find a bloody Bigby opening the door like last time. Snow's heart clawed at the thought as she remembered the horror of seeing those blood drenched cloths and the yellow glowing eyes. Everything reminded her of that night when Dum's throat was torn open and the sight of the vicious smiling wolf crunching over the dead body still gave her shivers.

The door creaked as it opened and Snow braced herself for whatever sight would greet her.

A great relief flooded through her body as she saw that the sheriff who opened the door wore a new shirt without blood marks on. She smiled warmly at Bigby for the first time that day and he returned the genuine smile with one of his own.

"I presume that everything have gone according to plan", Snow asked already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, I guess you could say so", Bigby answered looking a bit guilty. Snow felt alarmed but not overly so as she regarded him with an unsure expression. He sighed and his hand traveled down towards his cigarette package in his pocket but came back empty handed. Snow felt a small smile tugging at her lips as she realized that he had followed her instructions about smoking. Maybe her first intuition about this idea had been the right one; this experience would be good for the sheriff.

"Well", Bigby said as he leaned on the doorframe. "I gave her the light explanation about this", he gestured towards Snow and himself, and probably the whole of the Woodlands as well.

"Oh", was Snow's only response as she thought about it. It was probably the best thing to do considering that Kelsey had been terrified and confused when Snow had left. By having an idea about what was going on might be good, even thought she hoped that Bigby hadn't revealed too much about Fabletown.

But, Snow thought, what does it matter when she's going to have her memory wiped as soon as she could take it. The detective might figure some things out but all in all, it wouldn't really matter.

Snow nodded her head in approval as Bigby stepped aside to let her enter the apartment. The blood on the floor had been washed away as well as on the wall. She remembered herself doing the task as Bigby was off to separate Gren and the Woodsman. The sticky feeling on her fingers had taken hours to forget as it had in some sick way made her feel like a companion to the crime. But she was use to blood; it seemed to be a constant companion to the whole fable community.

"She's on the couch, you go talk to her. I just got to have a smoke." Bigby disappeared out through the door as Snow stepped further in to the apartment, hearing the door slam shut behind her. Snow rounded the corner of the hall before stepping into Bigby's living room where the couch stood in the corner.

A tired mundy rested on the couch with an empty box of noodles next to her. Snow felt a warm feeling in her chest at the sight. Kelsey looked relaxed as she stared down in a book on her lap. Snow tilted her head as she read the title "_Snow White and the seven dwarfs_"; she laughed silently at Bigby's book collection before gently knocking on the wall next to her.

Kelsey's eyes snapped up from the book and she stiffened at the sound. Not entirely relaxed then, Snow thought to herself.

The detective seemed to ease up after seeing Snow and she smiled a content smile before putting down her book.

"Hi", Kelsey said to Snow as she made room on the couch for Snow to sit.

"Oh, hello", Snow replayed with ease as she looked at a much healthier detective than last time she'd seen her. She stepped closer to the couch before settling down on the edge braiding her fingers together in her lap.

"So how are you feeling? Better? Have Bigby been a good host?" Snow couldn't help but take pride in Bigby's work with the mundy. Sure it had been him who messed her up and nearly killed her, but still, it was nice seeing the detective do other things than beating the crap out of people.

"Yeah sure", the detective answered after awhile. "He kinda explained everything to me about this"; she made a gesture to all of Snow and the apartment, and probably the whole of the Woodsland. Snow only nodded as if she understood precisely what Bigby had told the mundy, when in fact she had no clue.

"So", Kelsey said with serious eyes. "He told me about the memory removing capability you have, and that you will do it on me." Snow's eyes widened at that, what exactly was a _light explanation_ according to the wolf? "He also told me about this secret group of people that you are and that.." Brannigan grew quiet before whispering in a conspiring voice. "That you all are characters from fairytales."

Snow had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from screaming in agony. Why had he told her everything? Why had the wolf's _light explanation_ included everything you might possibly want to know about the fable community? Had he no feeling about discretion at all? Or was he simply so easily fooled that this mundy had managed to worm her way onto his trust-list.

Snow looked around the apartment with new eyes at that thought. The food, the chair beside the couch, everything spoke about Bigby caring, and the last time Bigby cared about someone it had been…

Snow shook her head away from thoughts like that. She couldn't let personal feelings disrupt her judgment; she was the deputy mayor for Christ sake. Bigby had nearly killed the poor mundy, of course he would feel responsible, but it didn't mean he could destroy everything they worked so hard on to keep a secret. Nothing could justify this, not even the fact that they were going to remove her memory soon anyway.

"So is it true?" Brannigan's voice awoke Snow from her thoughts. She quickly rearranged her annoyed farcical features to a concerned face as she looked at Brannigan.

"Well…" the said fairytale character began. "I wouldn't exactly say fairytale..."

The slam of a door interrupted Snow from saying anything further. Bigby was back from his smoke break.

"Excuse me", Snow said to Kelsey as she got up from the couch. "I'm just going to exchange a word with Mr Wolf." The mundy detective nodded as Snow hurried out from the room towards the apartment door.

Bigby was just putting away his lighter as Snow fussed him back out through the door into the corridor.

"Hey, what's the dea...", Bigby began before seeing Snow's sharp stare. Snow carefully closed the door behind them before turning to the sheriff with fury in her eyes.

"What were you thinking!?" The deputy major didn't care that the walls were thin or that this discussion should be had in private, she was just so angry that she even worried _she_ might turn into a wolf as a follow.

She raised a finger at the confused detective and marked every word she said with tapping it in his chest. "How. Could. You. Be. So. Stupid!"

Bigby looked more confused than ever as he observed the ranging blizzard before him

"Snow what are you talking about?" He managed to shout at her before she hissed at him, yes actually hissed, in frustration.

"You've told her everything!" Snow stared into his eyes that somehow were hazel brown once again. Perhaps he was too shocked to be feeling the wolf inside of him for the moment. Or maybe those cigarettes did greater wonders to him than she'd imagined.

"Wait I told her what?" Bigby interrupted the erupting volcano. Snow snarled at him, how could he _not_ understand what he'd done?

"Everything", Snow exhaled. "About us, about fable town… Everything." Her rage disappeared as fast as it had come as she realized where they were and how she'd shouted.

Snow slummed against the corridor wall as she whispered:

"How could you be so stupid?"

Bigby just stood a moment with furrowed brows as he looked at Snow's depressed posture against the wall. He seemed to be thinking deeply, perhaps finally realizing that what he had told Brannigan wasn't a _light version_. The detective looked up and winched as he met Snow's accusing gaze. But as Snow looked into those hazel brown eyes she saw them change color.

As she watched she saw how the detective lost his normal pose to a more animalistic one and how his eyes shone in a frightening yellow gleam that hadn't been there a moment ago.

Snow weren't usually afraid of Bigby and this time was no exception, but she felt a distinct fear in place for whoever had manage to bring forth the wolf, as she was certain it wasn't her making. Bigby had never attacked her and somehow Snow just knew he never would, but she still had a job to do, and in that job it was included to keep the death cases to a minimum.

"Bigby, what is it?" Snow felt her voice naturally change to a more soothing tone as she tried to calm the beast.

"She tricked you", Bigby's voice was a growl as he stepped through the door to his apartment. Snow felt a wave of confusion follow as she walked (ran) after Bigby through the door and into the living room.

On the other side of the room was Brannigan standing against the wall. She looked weak and Snow could see that the blood had bled trough doctor Swineheart's bandages as her left arm hung limp by her side. In her right hand however…

"Stand still or I'll shot, and _Mr wolf_ I won't miss this time." Snow watched in horror how the detective aimed a gun at her and Bigby, why had that gun been within arms reach of the mundy?

Bigby froze at the spot, covering Snow with half his body as he watched Brannigan's arm tremble of the effort of holding the gun. Snow felt herself pale with horror at the situation, she had to put a stop to this otherwise they might be dealing with a dead mundy. She quickly went through the events leading down to this in her head from Brannigan telling her about Bigby's screw-up.

But there was something off with the whole string of events. Bigby was very unlikely to spill out secrets, even if he had feelings of guilt. He was like her, working to protect fable town against wrong doings and discovery. Why would he suddenly betray the community like that? Especially when he'd sacrificed so much to protect it. And then in the corridor he'd said that Kelsey had been lying?

Snow couldn't make out anything from her swirling thoughts as she felt Bigby tense before her, ready to leap to action.

"Kelsey", Snow said with a soft voice as she peered out from behind Bigby. Brannigan just looked at Snow with furrowed eyebrows. "Take it easy, nobody here wants you any harm", Snow felt herself wince as she said one of the most obvious lies in her life. She knew that Bigby would wipe out the mundy in front of them without any regrets as long as she was a threat.

The worst part was that Kelsey seemed to have come to the exact same conclusion as she laughed a humorless laugh before leaning more on the wall, weakened by her injury.

"Yeah nobody wants me any harm except him."

She nodded towards a stiff Bigby who didn't move an inch as Brannigan looked at him with fear mixed nervousness. Snow felt compelled to defend the sheriff as a low growl was heard from the man in question.

"He won't harm you if you stop threaten him. You have my word", Snow looked begging at the mundy. "Please just put the gun down."

Brannigan regarded Snow with a pained expression.

"You know Ms Snow", she said with a sad voice. "You seem like a really nice person and all, but this", she nodded towards Snow and Bigby. "This is not what I would consider a friendly hostel where I can rest my weary legs. How can I be sure I won't get murdered in my sleep?" Brannigan looked at them with a suspicious expression as she took a deep breath. "I mean a group of people who believes themselves to be fairytales characters. Come on."

"You told her about that?" Bigby had directed the question to Snow while his eyes never left the detective.

"About us being fairytale characters? No! Wasn't it you who…" Snow interrupted herself as she heard an inpatient sigh from the mundy. Brannigan gave an annoyed nod towards Snow

"You introduced yourself as Ms Snow, my first thought was that your skin was white as snow... Blah, Blah you get the picture. Later on I asked Sheriff Wolf if I could borrow something to read, he had one book; _'Snow White and the seven dwarfs'_."

Brannigan gave a quick glance towards Bigby before continuing.

"After figuring Ms Snow out Mr Big and Bad weren't too hard." Bigby gave a warning rumble at that. Brannigan shivered slightly at the sound and licked her lips in a nervous gesture. Snow noticed that the fear for, as she had said, Mr Big and Bad still was great within the mundy and somehow that made Snow feel safer.

It really shouldn't make her feel better that Bigby was feared, but somehow it did.

"Well anyway from Bigby Wolf there wasn't too great a leap to Big Bad Wolf and there you have it. From Mr Wolf I got the information that there where other '_special_' people in you group, which I read as '_other fairytale characters'_. You Ms Snow, or should I say Ms White, only confirmed my suspicions."

Snow felt herself pale at the detective's logic reasoning and wished that Kelsey could have been in another line of work. Perhaps working in a flower shop, then they wouldn't be in this mess.

She also felt herself give a silent salute to the wolf currently shielding her, without his quick thinking, who knew where they would be right now? Perhaps starring at an empty couch and waiting for the mundy police to arrive with their full force.

Brannigan moved her left arm with a hiss and seemed to be in great pain as her breath came out quicker.

"Okey, Kelsey that's good. You figured us out, but we don't want you any harm so just put the gun down and we'll talk about it?" Snow tried to make the suggestion sound tempting and Brannigan even looked willing to follow her words for a moment. But then the mundy shook her head and looked desperately at the two fables in front of her.

"No! Because if you really didn't want me any harm I would be at a public hospital right now. Or do you know what? I wouldn't even be at a hospital I would be home." Brannigan eyed them with care as she moved a step towards them, still aiming that gun. "Now you're going to let me pass through that door while you two will stay _right_ here." Brannigan took another small step towards them as she nodded her head to the opposite corner of the room.

But Bigby wouldn't have any of that as he took a step towards Brannigan who suddenly retreated a few steps.

"No", she said firmly as she kept up the aim. "Go to that corner or I'll swear to god I'm going to shoot." Her body shook as she regarded Bigby's appearance that visually screamed rage. Snow felt herself at loss, she had to do something.

"Kelsey", she said desperately hoping to calm the situation. "I know our ways aren't yours, but please believe me when I say that as long as you're no threat to us, we won't be that to you." Kelsey didn't look at Snow but kept her eyes trained on Bigby as she replied.

"You're NY citizens who have decided to take your little cosplay dramas into an aspect of reality. When you say memory wipe, does that equal a bang on the head with a blunt object?"

"No, Kelsey we would never…"

"Or are you simply going to sacrifice me to some fairytale god? Giving me as a bribe to the Big Bad Wolf to keep everyone else safe from his rage?"

"Kelsey!" Snow felt how the detective grew desperate and nothing good could come of a desperate mundy with a gun.

"I don't know how you do that with your eyes and it scares the shit out of me. But how can you honestly believe that you're fairytale characters! You're all INSANE!"

Brannigan's eyes widened at the end of that sentence and Snow felt herself fear that the mundy might do something rash. But the detective seemed to calm down a notch after her outburst as she took a deep breath. She then looked determinate at Bigby.

"Move", Brannigan ordered the still irritated sheriff. "I won't ask you any more times, this is your final choice. Move or be removed. Just let me go." She unhedged the safety catch on the gun before taking another steady aim at Bigby's heart.

Snow felt her own heart speed up at the sight. How could they avoid bloodshed if the mundy was set on asking them the impossible? To let her go.

If Brannigan got out of here she would tell, no doubt about that. And whatever they had fought to keep safe would be unrevealed, and the humans weren't too keen on leaving new discoveries as they had found them. Thing's would go bad fast, Snow was certain on that. She couldn't watch whatever they had fought for going to waste, how every fable throughout their community would be reduced to science objects. Snow rather set loose the Big Bad Wolf on a rampage before letting that happen, and that was saying a lot.

"Detective", Snow heard the rough voice of the sheriff speaking. "You know I can't do that."

It took Snow some milliseconds before realizing that the world had gone to hell. She saw movement as Bigby took a leap towards the detective; at the same time she heard a deafening bang. It was like the world stopped making sense to her for a moment or two before she realized what had happened.

The detective stood with shaking legs in the end at the room with a smoking gun in front of her, looking as shocked as Snow felt. Bigby on the other hand lay on the ground clutching his side that was soaked in red.

"Bigby", Snow gasped as she hurried towards the sheriff. She hadn't gotten more than a couple of steps before seeing a claw dressed hand appearing where it had been human nails moments ago. Snow had seen this before and last time the one on the receiving end hadn't lived to tell the tale.

The deputy major turned towards a white-faced mundy with a lowered gun and panic in her eyes.

"You have to get out of here otherwise…" A roar interrupted Snow's warning. Bigby was getting up and judging by the sinister look in his face he had lost himself to the wolf. Snow didn't know what to do and for the first time she felt herself wonder what would happen if she were to stand in the sheriffs way.

The mundy looked so terrified that she might as well die due to a heart attack any minute and Snow suspected that the look matched her own.

Brannigan dropped the gun on the floor and showed her palms in submission as the gigantic wolfman approached his prey. There was a low ongoing growl from the sheriff and Snow felt herself panic at the spot.

This was bad. She looked at the human crouching before the angry wolf. Yep this _was_ bad. What should she do, what could she do, what was the right thing to do? Snow looked at the scenario in front of her and realized that she had to save the mundy. Brannigan had been afraid and to smart for her own good when she shoot Bigby. Snow knew better than most that fear was a funny thing that did funny things to decent people.

Brannigan was a decent mundy, she deserved saving.

And in lack of other alternatives, today it would be Snow doing just that, saving.

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><p>AN Hope you guys enjoy the story so far! Hopefully chapter 2 was to your liking and I will try to update with chapter 3 ASAP:) I would also like to thank _Autrach998_ for giving me inspiration to get this story rolling, I might not have done this without your glorious support;)

Until next time… Stay Awesome, Stay _Special_! :)


	3. Chapter 3 - Brothers

The Wolf Within Us

Chapter 3 - Brothers

_Since the battle with the Crooked Man Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans. _

AN/ Hello once again! I just want to thank everybody that reviewed for being awesome :D and it really gives me the will to keep on writing these chapters:)

As usual my English is so-so and if you see any faults feel free to point them out as well as review your opinion of the story (As it makes me over-the-moon happy to know that you appreciate it).

About the story, let me just warn you that it will be spoilers mentioned from _**all**_ the episodes, and that _this_ tale takes place some weeks after the last episode in TWAU.

Disclaimer: No characters below belong to me :'(

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><p>Stupid, Stupid! Why did she have to act so stupid?! Sure she knew things had been fishy not to mention her nearly dying but why had she <em>played<em> the only genuinely nice person? Sure she wanted to get her suspicions confirmed but was that really worth it? Was it really worth facing this?

Brannigan looked up at the head of something akin to a werewolf. It stood over her as she kneeled at its feet shaking with fear. Last time hadn't been like this, last time had nearly driven a clawed dressed hand through her heart but it had still felt real. It hadn't felt like this. Not like she'd stepped into an alternative reality where people could turn into monsters if you pissed the off too much. This, Brannigan concluded in her mind, was the end.

* * *

><p>It had all started with a suspicion. After waking up from whatever happy land she'd visited only to find herself in the couch belonging to Mr Wolf, the very person responsible for years of nightmares to come…<p>

In the beginning she had sucked up Snow's explanation about this almost _X-men rip-off_ tale that included special people with special powers. How could she have doubted her when a monster with glowing, yeah actually _glowing_, eyes almost had killed her? But after getting filled up with stories fed to her by her captors she'd started thinking. She had started using what had taken her to the position as a female detective for the NYPD, she started using her brain.

Logical patterns that had been obvious were revealed to her as soon as she connected two and two. Who named there child Snow anyway and her looks basically had matched the one of Snow White in the book Bigby had lent her (not too bright for a detective aye?). And the so called Sheriff had told her about this '_group of people'_, she'd heard that one before. In the end the common thing the NYPD would call a special '_group of people'_ was a _crazy sect_.

As an arm of the law, and in New York none the less, Brannigan had seen it all and heard even more. So after figuring Ms White out, whom according to the book should be known as Mrs White, it didn't take long before figuring out whom Bigby's character was.

The theory should be water proof, but there were still details that'd been nagging in her mind. For starters as soon as she looked into the presumably Big Bad Wolf's eyes she saw them shine. She literary saw yellow glowing eyes stare right back at her, and that should not be possible. Her other option to all this would be to believe that this actually was fairytale creatures coming to life, but that was even more unrealistic. Why would fairytales suddenly become a reality? Had Disney the power to create life through movies? No, she would rather admit that this Bigby fellow was some kind of scientist experiment gone wrong than accept that fairytale-explanation.

So how long had this sect been going on and why would they take credit for wiping the memory of the whole police station? Was there some kind of drug that made you forget the last 24 hours of your life, or had they done something else? Using gas would be one way but the true question was why they had done it? Bigby had mentioned something about taking care of their people and according to her notes from the empty interrogation room, there had been something about a murder. That realization had made her stomach twinge, as she understood that a crazy sect could be the correct term for this… Fairytale-thing they had going. The murder could have had something to with human sacrifices?

She knew that many groups of people joined under a flag of something, it could be everything from a God to a belief and in this case that God-theory was very likely. If they all believed themselves to be fairytale characters, there was a possibility that they had some sort of all mighty God that they prayed to. Sometimes they might even make sacrifices to the God in question as their spiritual common ship grew stronger. Sometimes the God was made up; sometimes another person took the roll as the savior. Brannigan had immediately thought about the Sheriff and how Ms Snow had guarded her while he'd been out somewhere. Everything felt very strange but not overly so as she sat on a filthy couch with a wound in her shoulder and a children's book in her lap.

But she realized that this situation was not one which should continue. Sooner or later these people would want to 'remove her memory'; she shuddered at the thought of what it could mean. Would they remove her memory the same way as they had done it at the police station? Or was there something else that would be happening? Perhaps they would grow tired of guarding her and just disposed of her as another sacrifice in their little sect. Brannigan reckoned she had to act, and when Snow knocked at the wall, the detective from NYPD saw a golden opportunity to have her suspicions confirmed.

As Snow's eyes widened after Brannigan's description of Bigby and hers 'earlier conversation', the detective realized that she would _not_ get away with this. She had just said something very unlikely for Mr Wolf, something that would be exposed to what it had been… _lies_, as soon as the Sheriff came back. The number one rule of a captive was to never test his or her boundaries, but Brannigan had the gnawing feeling that she'd done just that. Perhaps she'd been lured into a false feeling of security after that box of noodles and the look of kindness from the Sheriff, or maybe it was Ms Snow's genuine smile? Anyway she'd messed up and as Ms Snow rushed out from the room to 'talk to Mr Wolf'; Brannigan saw the inventible happening in her mind. They would come back and they would have realized that she knew too much, as well as she had fooled Ms Snow. Perhaps they would agree to just dispose of her there and then? She might be too smart to be kept alive?

Why couldn't she just have played along and waited for the right opportunity? Now she would have to do something drastic just because she wanted to have an almost waterproof theory confirmed.

Brannigan had dragged herself up from the comfortable couch as she'd felt her wound burn in protest against her movements. She'd found her gun after some painful searching and had just started to look after a way out of the apartment when he'd come storming in. She really hadn't wanted to face the Sheriff in a bad mood ever again.

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><p>"No Bigby Stop!" Brannigan had closed her eyes in waiting for the final blow when she heard Ms Snow shouting out. She didn't dare to open her eyes afraid of what she might see. Whatever logical reasoning that had led her to the 'crazy sect' conclusion had been thrown out the window. Brannigan was for once without doubt convinced that these people actually were fairytale-characters. How else could one explain what she'd just witnessed? She'd shot someone, right in his guts and moments after an enraged wolfman had emerged from that bleeding heap on the floor.<p>

God, Brannigan thought despite her fear. She'd shot someone without mercy. She felt momentarily disgusted with herself.

"Bigby listen to me", Ms Snow's voice echoed over the low growl in the small apartment. "You don't want this. I know she hurt you, but listen she was scared."

Brannigan only listen with half an ear as her body shook on its own behalf. She'd never felt this raw fear before. Like her whole being would die of horror rather than an actual blow, was this like people felt when they knew they were going to die? She closed her eyes in a pray to a God she'd never believed in, but if he was up there this might be her only chance to pay him her regards in the world of the living.

Brannigan almost had a heart attack when she felt a hand on her good shoulder and a low whimper escaped despite her efforts. She soon reckoned that the hand belonged to Snow and her fear eased a bit as she realized that perhaps her body wouldn't visit the morgue just yet.

"She shot you, I get that. But she's not Dum, she has stopped shooting." The growl faded after the last sentence and Brannigan looked up at the wolfman in front of her. He didn't have that sinister look in his eyes anymore but he wasn't all rainbows and ponies either. He looked thoughtful and Brannigan's eyes traveled on their own accord down to the shot wound. It was red and ugly, but not as bad as one might have thought. Still, a normal person would have been dead by now, or at least unconscious.

"Bigby", Snow said with a silk smooth voice. "Calm down, she has surrendered." The wolfman turned away from the detective and took some ground shaking steps across the room. For a moment he just stood there with the back turned against them, but when he turned around the wolf was gone, instead there was a Sheriff standing there. He didn't look tired or anything, but he was shirtless and Brannigan felt her cheeks turn red of some strange reason. She glanced at Snow still standing next to her with a hand on her shoulder; yep those white cheeks had a pink tingle to them.

"Okay Snow", Bigby took some step towards them from the other side of the room. "She has surrendered but _fuck_." He gave Brannigan an ice chilling stare. "She fucking shot me; she threatened to shoot us both!"

Snow seemed to have rearranged her face to a more business like one as she shot back at the Sheriff.

"Sure, I can see that. But do you realize the work behind covering up a murder…"

"You mean self-defense?" Bigby still looked mad as he promptly ignored the mundy detective, still kneeling by their feet.

"Self-defense? Bigby she had surrendered!" Snow looked at the Sheriff with fire in her eyes, like she couldn't believe she was hearing this.

Bigby paused before answering that. He looked at Snow with a calculating look and Snow winced at the sight of it. Brannigan felt like one of the greatest villains of all times. These two people seemed to be working together a lot, and according to Snow's blush perhaps they were more to each other than working colleagues and friends. Right now they stood on two sides of a fence, and the fence in question was Brannigan herself. She didn't know what to do to ease the situation but she knew that she really didn't want to disturb the two of them. So she remained kneeling on the floor, silent.

"Look", Bigby spoke in an unusual soft voice. "When she shot me, she thought we were crazy mundies believing ourselves to be fairytale creatures." He gave the kneeling mundy a heated look. "She shot with the intention to kill me, perhaps with the intentions of shooting you next."

Brannigan couldn't let that sentence go without objections and she raised her head to defend her actions. She meet burning yellow eyes and the shout of protests were quickly reduced to a faint whisper.

"It wasn't my intention to shoot…" Brannigan felt the weak words slip out of her mouth as Bigby looked at her with an unimpressed face. "I'm a police officer who thought myself be captured by some sort of sick sect, I was trying to survive!" Brannigan let her shout in the end of the sentence fill the small apartment and felt Snow's hand squeeze her shoulder in comfort. She felt her courage swell and aimed her eyes so they were meeting the Sheriff's with a heated gaze.

"You tried to kill me some hours ago? Have you forgotten that? I don't defend my actions but last time I didn't shoot I was nearly sliced up in two. How do you expect an experience like that would make you think rational?" She felt courage from the fact that this was a verbal fight and that Snow wouldn't let bloodshed happen easily. Her shoulder throbbed, but still, she wouldn't have people arguing about her actions without her having a say in it all.

Bigby looked taken aback as he winched at the arguments and some of his anger seemed to pour off of him as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Brannigan still felt a surreal feeling when she regarded the half-naked man in front of her crossing his arms. Perhaps because of the bullet wound that disturbed the sight of smooth skin, or perhaps because of the crazy muscle display Mr Wolf physic (unintentionally) showed. There were just too many muscles visual. He must have less than zero body fat on him. If the Sheriff hadn't been a bloodthirsty fairytale wolf who wanted her dead, and if Brannigan hadn't already had Tom she probably would have admired him. As it was now, he just seemed all that more intimidating.

"Okay, detective." He looked at her with a suspicious gaze. "I don't like people betraying me or tricking me for that matter. Actually that is the kind of people I like the least. But", Bigby gave a side glance towards Snow. "I'm going to give you one last chance." He looked grim as he continued with a dark voice. "If I ever see that gun in my face again", he bent forward to get on the same eye level as her. "There won't be enough excuses in the world to stop me. Understood?"

Brannigan swallowed thickly as she nodded in agreement. Bigby's face twisted to a scary sort of smile. "Good."

He removed his gaze from hers and the detective shuddered in relief. She promised herself to never aim a gun at anyone again, the consequences just weren't worth it.

Bigby looked over at Snow who regarded him with a disapproving frown and he gave her a _mind-your-own-business_ look. He tch:ed as he went past her towards the phone at the far end of the room. The frown disappear from Snow's face as soon as Bigby had his back towards her and was replaced with a sad look as she watched him dial a number, perhaps using a bit more force than necessary for pressing the buttons.

"Hey is it Swineheart?" Bigby's gruff voice broke the silence. "Well I wondered if you could come by earlier to change the mundy's bandages, and also if you could help me remove a bullet?" The Sheriff listened as this doctor Swineheart said something in the phone. "No she's fine, just me this time." He hummed in agreement as the person on the other line said something.

Brannigan sneaked a look at Snow who stood beside her and seemed torn about what to do. The detective desperately wanted to thank her but felt at loss about how to go on about it. A '_thank you for saving me from your blood crazy friend whom I accidently shot_' didn't even sound well in her ears. Perhaps it was just best to wait, her arm hurt as hell and that headache started to feel like serious issues. This, whatever this was, would have to solve itself; she was too scared and too tired right now. Hopefully Snow held onto her opinion of not murdering defenseless people, otherwise the nap Brannigan looked forward to taking could become longer than expected.

* * *

><p>Bigby opened the door for a tired looking doctor. Swineheart's eyes immediately found his wound in the side and bent down to examine it with accustomed eyes.<p>

"A clean shot", he mumbled and carefully touched the skin around the wound. Bigby winched slightly at the feeling and Swineheart quickly removed his hands.

"Well", Bigby signed to the doctor no longer crouching. "Perhaps we should continue inside the apartment?"

Swineheart nodded in agreement as he strolled in, used to the small place as he'd been there more times than he cared to count. Bigby closed the door and followed the doctor into the main room. The mundy lay resting on the couch and had drifted off to a worried sleep as Snow was on the floor, scrubbing away blood.

"Snow", Bigby's voice was somehow distant as he spoke her name, the fight they've had still fresh in his mind. "You don't have to do that."

Snow looked up in from the scrubbing and gave him a small unsure smile, perhaps worried that he wasn't ready to be friendly with her just yet.

"I wanted to. You protected me after all."

Bigby couldn't help but feel something in him untangle as he gave her a smile of his own, feeling okay for the first time since his 'smoke break'. For a moment they just stared at each other, both equally relieved that this dispute hadn't destroyed things above the point of fixing. Things had been hard after the Crooked Man, harder than anyone had wanted to recognize. Snow and Bigby had always been able to keep a united front, first it had been against Crane, then against the Crooked Man, but nowadays things had been cracking.

It had begun after Bigby had brought back the dead body of the crooked man in question to the trial; somehow he had a feeling that Snow hadn't forgiven him for that. Sometimes he wondered if she ever would. During these last weeks Bigby and Snow had had their rows more frequently than ever and Bigby couldn't remember the last day since they hadn't had a fight. He guessed he was to blame, or rather that he couldn't live up to the ideal Prince Charming Snow seemed to hope he could be. He wasn't noble nor kind, but he would keep the peace in this town, no matter the costs. Or so he used to think.

Looking at Snow's ruined coat, red with his blood, he wondered where they would end up? Would he be able to protect a town where everyone seemed to do their outmost to fuck things up? Maybe he himself was to be counted to that category, one of the fuckups?

"So Sheriff", Swineheart opened his bag and brought forth a thin metal tool. "We better remove that bullet right?"

The wound wasn't so bad. Dee and Dum had fired shotgun rounds at him; this ammo on the other hand was developed to do as little damage as possible. Sure it could kill you, but it was more likely for you to get hurt than dead.

Bigby regarded the sleeping mundy detective as he had himself sewn up. There was something about her that made him want to trust her. Before when she had stood with her gun aimed at him it had actually hurt, an emotional hurt that had made the situation so much worse. Of course he'd felt his defenses on full speed but he knew this mundy and when she'd turned on him and most of all Snow, he couldn't help but feel betrayed. Perhaps that's why he'd reacted as strongly as he had? Or perhaps there was something with her that naturally pissed him off? Either way he wouldn't let the mundy get under his skin a second time.

He winched as Swineheart finished the sewing with a knot. The doctor gave him a questioning look as he started to put on the bandages. Bigby decided not to commentate on that as he turned to Snow who had finished the scrubbing and now stood across the room next to the mundy. She looked at Swineheart doing his magic with tired eyes, but she still seemed content somehow, he guessed that things could have gone much worse than it did. But still, it had ended with him taking a bullet.

Snow stepped closer to Bigby as Swineheart moved on to check on the sleeping mundy.

"Hi", she said with a weak voice.

Bigby looked at her with a small smile before mirroring her words. "Hi."

Snow seemed to let out a breath before she crossed her hands over her chest content with standing beside him. Bigby almost sighed as his tens nerves disappeared, and for once they felt like a united front again. It almost felt as before the Crooked Man.

But of course moments as these were fleetingly and they both flinched when the phone rang. Bigby excused himself and went with heavy steps to answer.

"Bigby?"

"Sheriff", the voice belonged to the bartender of the Trip Trap A.K.A Holly the troll.

"What is it Holly?" Bigby felt like he had said that phrase too many times in this lifetime.

"Well, that fucker Woody came down here and tried to fucking talk to Gren and…"

"Say no more", Bigby dragged a tired hand over his unshaved face. "I'm coming down."

"You better hurry. If I have to replace one more set of chairs… Hey fuckers not there!" Bigby only signed as he heard something akin to a loud bang on the other end of the phone. Well over to The Trip Trap then.

He hurried towards the wardrobe to find a new shirt, as he told Snow about the situation. She only nodded, probably realizing what's been going down after listening to that phone call.

"Just be careful", Bigby smiled at her words. Hearing her say them made him feel hope about them and about the future. Perhaps things weren't as fucked up as they could've been.

"Always", he smiled at her before hurrying out the door, closing it softly behind him.

* * *

><p>The rumble at the Trip Trap had been exactly like last time he separated Gren and Woody. Only this time troll-Holly was there to make an even bigger mess.<p>

"This is fucking worthless", he mumbled to himself as he passed by the lobby of the Woodslands. These fucking fights would never stop and he wondered if he would have to rip of Gren's other arm before the guy would get it?

The elevator chimed as it reached the ground floor and the Sheriff stepped away from the tidy lobby wondering what to make of everything in his apartment. Perhaps since Brannigan knew everything already, Snow could have her in the Business Office? He knew that it was a stupid hope, but he really didn't have it in him to care for someone who'd backstabbed him.

The elevator chimed again as he reached the right floor and stepped out in the lit up corridor. Bigby was lost in thoughts about how he might persuade Snow to take the mundy, but at the same time he didn't want her to risk herself by caring for the backstabbing Brannigan. Sure the mundy didn't seem bad, and that was the worst part. Bigby was expecting people like Gren to fight, he expected people like Jack to fool, but Brannigan was so unpredictable. His instinct told him that Brannigan was good, but her every action had defied that. The Sheriff shook his head, sure she was probably scared but scared people grew desperate and desperate people where known for doing drastic things. A frown appeared on his forehead as he remembered that gun in her trembling hand, drastic actions, a perfect example.

Bigby took the last steps around the corner so his apartment came in view. His heart nearly stopped. The door was open; or rather it was kicked in. He hurried the last few steps and ran through the door.

The apartment was a mess. His desk was turned upside down with rapports all over the place. His couch was turned tilted to its side and there was a broken chair next to it. But worst of all was the blood. He took a deep sniff through his nose and smelled the thick smell of mundy blood, Brannigan.

He quickly scanned the apartment looking for clues. There had been people here, about three of them and, according to the mess; they had captured Snow, Brannigan and Swineheart. Bigby felt a pang of fear as a thought of Snow passed through his mind, who _fucking_ dared to lay their HANDS ON HER?! Bigby grabbed ahold of his head with his hands as a mean to calm himself; it wouldn't help to panic now, he needed his mind at the moment.

"Think, think", he mumbled to himself as he paced around the trashed flat. He'd been over at the Trip Trap for about one hour counting the ride to and from the place, so this must have happened recently. He could almost imagine how everything had been going down. Two to three people storming the place, Swineheart wouldn't put up much of a fight; his greatest tool in the world was his hands and he was a healer. But Snow would have fought, he was sure of it. She was probably the one who'd used the chair to knock someone down, destroying it in the process. Brannigan on the other hand, well she was hurt but she must still have resisted, why else would there be mundy blood on the floor?

Bigby's jaw tightened as he saw a very familiar shoe on the floor, Snow's. He wondered if they had knocked her down or if they had been armed, maybe they had threatened Brannigan and noble Snow had come with them willingly. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, sometimes Snow was way to kind for her own good.

But the people doing this wouldn't be after Snow? They had broken into _his_ apartment and taken everyone in it. Was there someone trying to get back at him for something? Bigby thought about that for a while, but _no_ that seemed unlikely, especially since the people he'd wronged liked to take things cheek to cheek. No this kidnapping business was something else entirely.

Bigby picked up the shoe as he kept on thinking. No one knew that either Snow or Swineheart would be in his apartment, and no one knew about the mundy except the three of them… Oh. He stopped dead in his track as he remembered being pushed away from finishing the detective last night. That fucking pig _Colin_ was in for a world of trouble.

* * *

><p>Colin had woken up for an hour ago or something, hug over as hell. He grumbly pushed his way out the janitor-room in which he'd managed to fall asleep in.<p>

What a fucking night.

He managed to go down the corridor on wobbly legs towards Bigby's apartment. With a bit of luck that whole mundy business would be over and done with and everything would be back to normal, or as normal as it got with having the towns sheriff as a roommate.

Colin burped undignified as he pushed his way into the small apartment.

He nearly choked. The apartment was ruined, not messy as it always was but thoroughly trashed. There had defiantly been a break-in here, but who would steel anything from this shabby place anyway? Colin felt himself sober up as he carefully stepped over broken glass taking in his surroundings. He cut the sharp corner that divided the hall with the main room, concentrating on the flipped work desk that laid a few steps ahead.

"Oh look who have decided to come around."

Colin nearly choked for the second time that minute and turned his head to the left. In the shadow beside the tilted couch stood the owner of the apartment, Bigby looked everything but pleased to see Colin. In fact, the pig would go so far to say that the Sheriff looked almost furious at the pink fable.

"Oh hi Sheriff didn't see you stand there in the shadow. Some shit huh?" Bigby didn't dignify Colin's weak attempt to humor with a response he just looked at the pig, like he tried to figure out what to do with him. Colin swallowed nervously; he didn't like that look on the Sheriff, it reminded him too much about a certain wolf, the Big Bad Wolf.

"Listen here Sheriff", Colin continued in a pathetic attempt to sound normal. "I see that you have a lot going on and I would hate to bother you in a time such as th…"

"Who did you tell?" Colin was interrupted by a blood chillingly rumble with a question mark. He didn't know the answer to that question but realized that the Sheriff wasn't after denial. He had to play things smart; otherwise he might become bacon and ham to a certain predator.

"Please Sheriff you gotta give me more details that that? Has it something to do with the apartment?" Colin tried on a calming smile but dropt it as the Sheriff growled warningly at the pig. He took a step out of the shadow and Colin flinched as he saw the look of annoyance in his yellow burning eyes.

"The mundy, who in the _fucking hell_ did you tell about the mundy?" Colin's eyes widened at that and he remembered his half drunken conversation with a certain Jack. He felt a twinge in his stomach when he recalled his earlier thoughts about not getting fooled again, so much for that promised.

"Hey, hey slow it down Sheriff", Colin retreated a few steps as the Wolf stepped closer. He'd really screwed things up this time, but even though the Sheriff had been more out of it than usual this was taking things a step further. Bigby was annoyed at him all the time and there wasn't uncommon for hard words to be exchanged, but this? There was more to this than the Wolf's apartment Colin just had to figure out if telling the truth would save him from this wrath or not.

As Bigby took another threatening step towards the pig Colin decided that the truth would have to do this time.

"Okay, Okay Sheriff. Just take it easy will you?" Colin swallowed as the sheriff stopped his death march and stared at the pig with a blank expression. "Well", the pig continued as he cleared his throat nervously. "The thing is that I was just lying back, you know, keeping out of Ms White's way." A small growl escaped the Sheriff as the pig mentioned the new Deputy Major. Interesting.

"So", Colin hurriedly continued. "I was just minding my own business, having some beer, relaxing you know. But then that stupid jackass Jack had to come by to…"

"Wait you said Jack?" the Sheriff interrupted. Colin got the distant impression that the Wolf leaned over him as an air of hold-back rage hung around him. "You told _fucking_ Jack?" the Sheriff didn't seem pleased to hear the truth. Colin wanted to defend himself, he really did, but he had quite flawless working survival instincts, so he kept his snout shut.

Bigby just stared at the pig in front of him and felt an overwhelming need to rip the pig apart. But something in him thought of Snow and where ever she might be right now and he realized that he didn't have time for slaughter at the moment.

Colin could almost see what went through the Wolfs mind as that towering anger seemed to pour away. It felt better knowing that he wasn't the main object for the Wolf's anger, but what was it really that had gotten the Wolf so worked up anyway. The only explanation would be Ms Snow, but what had it to do with the mundy…

"Is it Ms Snow?" Colin's voice sounded almost scared as he asked the question. Bigby only raised an eyebrow as he nodded, lost in thoughts. "Where is she anyway?" The pig already had his suspicions but wanted to know for sure.

"Taken", Bigby did a small gesture with his hand towards the ruined apartment and stepped past the pig. Colin's heart froze at the words. Had she been kidnapped?! No wonder the Wolf was more bloodthirsty than usual, if not for the need of finding Ms Snow quickly; Colin would probably be pushing up daisies by now. But he'd asked Colin about the mundy, had the mundy and Snow been taken together?

However it was Colin didn't get the chance to pry in it as the Sheriff headed out the door, leaving an intact pig behind. He thanked his lucky star and cursed his rambling snout as he watched the Sheriff disappear through the apartment door. This time Colin had avoided the Big Bad Wolf's wrath, but it had been a close call.

Well fuck; this seemed to turn out to an even shittier day than the pig first had thought. And the clock wasn't even 10.00 AM. He only hoped that the Sheriff would find Ms Snow in an unharmed condition, otherwise the pig might get a bloody vendetta on his neck. And to be honest, he was pretty sure that he wouldn't survive that.

Maybe it was time to return to the farm, just until things had cooled down and the peace was restored? Because Bigby couldn't come to the farm, and if this _saving-Snow-operation_ went bad, that might be the only place where he could be safe. And hey, he had his brothers there; it had been a while ago since they spoke, might be fun to catch up on old times. The pig wondered where Flycatcher might be, he would probably give him a ride…

As the pig began to walk out of the trashed apartment, lost in thoughts, he almost failed to notice the note on the floor. It was neatly folded and almost completely hidden behind a paper report but it still stood out as it was written with clear blue ink.

Colin stared at the note as he realized it must have been Snow or her captors who wrote it, how could the Sheriff have missed this lead? He had a silent debate with himself about going out the door and not get involved, before his curiosity got the better of him. Colin used his snout to puff away the report on top, revealing a hastily written note with three words.

_**Thief**_

_**Hunter**_

_**Brothers**_

_Fuck_, and there went his plan to go to the farm. Colin carefully picked up the note by tenderly holding it between his teeth, knowing that the Sheriff might make out more of this than him. He had probably gone off to Jack's place or perhaps to the Business office to cheek in the mirror? Or had he already looked in the mirror? However it was the Sheriff had been waiting for Colin here, the mirror would be the logical next step. To the Business Office then.

Colin strutted out the door, leaving the trashed apartment behind. If he was going to do this he better hurry, God knows where Ms Snow was right now. With some luck she would still be in one piece, otherwise things would get messy and quick. And Colin was pretty sure that the kidnappers wouldn't be the ones doing the messing.

_Fuck._

* * *

><p>AN Hi, now the story has finally begun:O And I hope that it was to your liking:) Next chapter might take a while longer since things like starting University is happening in my life right now:) I would also like to give special thanks to every reviewer! You guys rock!

Until next time… Stay Awesome, Stay _Special_! :)


	4. Chapter 4 - Planned Actions

**The Wolf Within Us**

Chapter 4 - Planned Actions

_S__ince the battle with the Crooked Man Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans._

AN/ Hello there! It was a while ago:)

As I mentioned earlier, summer is ending and I won't have as much time to write. I shall _ofc_ keep on updating but bear with me as it might take two weeks per update instead of one.

As usual I like to thank every awesome person who has tagged along on the story! I hope it will keep being to your liking. Also I send out a warning about misspellings that might occur which you are free to point out if you like. Furthermore please review the story as it motivates me to keep on writing and it's always nice to hear your opinion:)

About the story, let me just warn you that it will be spoilers mentioned from _**all**_ the episodes, and that _this_ tale takes place some weeks after the last episode in TWAU.

Disclaimer: No characters below belong to me :'(

* * *

><p>Snow moved over towards Swineheart to check on his head wound. She swore when she spotted the dried blood peering up barley visible under his hair, those damn brothers. Snow shook her head at a scared Brannigan who seemed to grow even smaller as she clutched her bad shoulder. The low rumble of the driving van sounded loud in the small cargo space where they'd been locked in. It all felt a bit too much like a prison escort for Snow's liking, but then again, they were prisoners.<p>

"What do we do?" Brannigan's small whisper broke the tens silence as Snow gently moved the doctor's head from her lap. She took of her coat and made an improvised pillow to the poor man before answering the mundy.

"I don't know, but we should listen to our captors and wait for Bigby to find us. He'll get us out of here."

Brannigan seemed to drink Snow's words as she nodded her head, still holding onto that shoulder of hers. When their captors had taken them she'd resisted, Snow admired her for it. But it had all ended with her shoulder wound getting the better of her and in the end she'd lay on the floor crying in pain. Not a pretty sight to start of a Monday morning.

Snow sighed and wondered why this was happening. Everything had finally seemed to cool down after the murders and now this? She shook her head and gave Brannigan an estimating look. Everything had circled around this mundy, since she came into the picture thing's had gone straight to hell. Sure there had been this _fable-wariness_ going around before her appearance, but her presence seemed to have set things in motion, and not in a good way.

Snow felt herself loose balance as the car hit a bump in the road. She almost hit her head in the car's wall before regaining her balance. Whoever was driving wasn't used to it, Snow only hoped that they wouldn't die before reaching their destination.

"…Orry." Snow's head snapped up as the mundy spoke.

"Pardon?"

"Sorry." Brannigan repeated as she meet Snow's gaze. "I know that I haven't really been…" She furrowed her brows while searching for the right words.

"Nice?" Snow supplied.

"Right." Brannigan now looked at anything but Snow. "But I want to say that I believe you, for whatever it counts and that I would like to help even if I'm so fucking scared right now that I rather hide…"

The mundy looked close to tears.

"I was scared too." Snow heard herself interrupt. Brannigan finally met her eyes. "I was scared most of the time if not all the time." She continued as she remembered how horrible the feeling of fright had felt. She had lived back in the homelands with the choking feeling of fear following her like a ghost searching for redemption. First she'd been afraid of her new mother, the queen that nearly had killed her in the end. Then the business with the seven dwarfs had left her heart pounding as soon as they were mentioned. In the end she'd been afraid of losing her husband, which she had in the most horrible fashion possible. She thought about how she'd barely managed to escape from the homelands, fear was a feeling she'd learn to live with her whole life.

"But", Snow continued far away from the van's cargo space as she remembered. "I stopped being afraid a long time ago. I guess you can say that I met someone who'd been feared by everyone and I…" She trailed of as she remembered the odd feeling when she'd faced the monster of nightmares. "Little fragile Snow White just didn't feel afraid." She looked up at Brannigan who stared back at her with a small smile playing at her lips. Snow returned the gesture and braided her hands together in her lap.

"I'm not usually afraid, never been." Brannigan said after awhile. She let go of her shoulder that was red from the blood that had erupted from the wound. "But since the time when you people wiped our memories at the station, I have been edgy."

Snow wasn't surprised, but she felt herself wonder how Brannigan had managed to avoid the witches magic? It wasn't something that she'd heard anyone do before and it made her unsure about this whole _mind-wiping_ operation. But perhaps she should worry about getting out of this situation before thinking about a (perhaps) nonexistent problem.

"I mean, if you go around and claim that you've been working on a case that no one have heard anything about, you're colleagues won't be the only ones who suspect that you're crazy." Brannigan leaned in closer to Snow. "You start to question your own sanity and it doesn't help to talk to your loved ones." The detective suddenly caught a look of sadness as she remembered something. "Trust me I know."

Snow regarded the mundy who seemed to have remembered something she rather would have left forgotten. She could only imagine how it must have felt for Kelsey to be called crazy by the people she worked with and loved. Like a lightning striking down in you again and again perhaps? No wonder she had been desperate to find answers, anything to prove that she wasn't going _la-la_. Snow regarded the detective in a new light, of course the mundy'd been afraid of late; getting thrown into a new world with inhuman monsters wasn't really a cure for ones nightmares.

"I get it", Snow replayed quiet. Brannigan let out a breath and started to hold onto her shoulder once again.

"It's just… I've always been afraid of losing him, my fiancé Tom. He's good, too good for me. I'm just a detective and he's a lawyer. A top notch one you know." Brannigan almost looked ashamed as she continued. "He's ten years older. His wife died and he has a kid. And who am I? Just another of the thugs beating at other thugs to keep them in line."

Snow looked silently at the detective as she poured out her thoughts in front of the Deputy Major.

"It's just not fair. Because just when I think that things actually might work out, this shit…" She made a gesture with her good arm around the small space where they were locked in. "…Happens."

Snow got the mundy's point.

"And just because I knew things I shouldn't know, everything went to hell. Tom doesn't trust me anymore, Josh hates me even more than he used to and frankly..." Brannigan sent an accusing look Snow's way before continuing. "It's all your fault."

_Ouch burn._

"But I know I can't blame you… Last two times I tried things didn't end up well, because… Well in the end it wasn't really your fault. It was just wrong time and place for me and for you…" Brannigan gave Snow a crooked smile before her gazed slipped over to the unconscious form of doctor Swineheart. "So I guess we're even. You screwed up my life and I screwed up yours."

"Kelsey", Snow said with a sad smile. "It's not you who made this happen." She made a sweeping motion with her hands, pointing out their current situation. "But you really should lay off with the guns." Snow added as an afterthought.

Brannigan winched slightly at that and looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, about that… You think there's any chance that the sheriff might forgive me?"

Snow only looked at the detective not bothering to answer.

"Yeah right, perhaps not…" the detective gave Snow a quick glance. "At least you fairytale characters are hard to kill."

"Not fairytale characters", Snow bent forward to check the doctors condition once again. "Fables."

* * *

><p>"Bigby?" Colin walked into the enormous room that was the Business Office. He looked towards the mirror just to notice that there was no one there. "Shit", he mumbled as he begun to turn away. The sheriff must have headed over to Jack's place then…<p>

"Fucking Hell!" Colin had turned around only to be faced with that creep Bluebeard appearing out of nowhere. "You scared the shit out of me."

Bluebeard only chuckled slightly as he went past the pig into the office, carrying a pile of papers in his arms. He went over to the Deputy Majors desk and placed the papers there before turning around to face the pig.

"So, have you complains as well to deliver? The opening hour are delayed to 12.00 AM today due to the extra opening hours yesterday. So if you wouldn't mind." Bluebeard did a gesture towards the door behind Colin clearly wishing him out of the way. But the pig didn't have any of that; he had some questions which needed answers before he took off.

"Yeah, sure I'll be out of your way but first you gotta answer some questions Mr _Wife-killer_."

Bluebeard looked irritated at the pig before shrugging his shoulders.

"If I feel like answering you… But I guess I can't stop you from asking." He went over to the desk and started to read through the top paper nodding towards Colin to start.

"Well…" the pig began opening with the most obvious question. "Have you seen the sheriff?"

Bluebeard looked up at him over the paper and scratched his chin absentminded.

"Why no… But what do you want with the Wolf?" His eyes traveled down to the piece of paper Colin had dropped on the floor in favor of talking.

"Aham, none of your business", Colin declared with a snot. Bluebeard looked suspicious at the pig before switching his expression to one of boredom. Colin didn't know if he just screwed up or if he'd avoided a disaster. "Anyway", the pig pushed on. "When was the last time you saw Snow?"

Bluebeard gave a slight chuckle as he put down whatever paper he'd been eyeing.

"What is this?" he asked the pig. "What do you want with Ms White and the Wolf? Are you afraid of that they've run of together? Or what?" Bluebeard paused as his eyes returned to the note at Colin's feet. "If it concerns this Ms White it concerns this Office, and as I am part of this Office it concerns me." Bluebeard took a step closer to the pig ready to snatch away the only clue he had to where Snow might be. Colin took a step forward covering the note with his pink body.

"Oh bravery? Not running away crying to your brothers now are you?" Bluebeard mocked the pig as he approached with heavy steps.

"Back off", Colin said cursing his trembling voice. He needed to take the note and run, find Bigby quick and let his part in all this be over and done with. But that was easier said than done, especially with Bluebeard the _wife-murderer_ after him.

"Or what? Are you going to snot at me some more? Call the sheriff?" Bluebeard looked at Colin with an evil gleam in his eyes, this wouldn't be pretty.

"Who called?"

Both fables jumped at the dark voice coming from the door, and who wasn't it if not the sheriff himself. Bigby didn't exactly look relaxed but neither threatening as he took a deep drag of a smoking cigarette. He eyed the both fables with a chilling look as he took a step into the room heading towards the mirror. The mirror awoke as the sheriff came closer bringing forth its green face to the surface.

"Oh isn't it the sheriff standing there? You're searching for someone but you don't know where?"

"Yeah that's right."

Bigby's replay was dark with a dangerous edge to it. Colin sincerely hoped that the mirror wouldn't ask the sheriff to rhyme the question but the hope was small. It really wouldn't be good if the mirror got smashed, but if the wolf became annoyed to the extent that just that happened Colin wouldn't stand in his way.

Colin gave a sideway glance towards Bluebeard but as he seemed focused on observing Bigby talk to the mirror the pig decided to lay low. So low that he actually laid his massive pink form down on the _'important' _note, just security measures.

"Mirror, mirror show me Snow, reveal her whereabouts, let me know."

Colin whistled low as the mirror complied with the sheriff wishes, that had been some fancy rhyme. Lucky for the mirror the sheriff had come prepared for once, if there had been a dispute Bigby's predator side might have gotten the better of him and… Colin gave another glance towards Bluebeard. When that beard had interfered (and Colin had no doubt that he would've) there could have been serious damage. But then again Colin despised Bluebeard; perhaps it wouldn't have been that _serious_… at least not according to the pig.

The mirror did that common _doooom-_sound as it revealed a tired looking Snow sitting with doctor Swineheart and the mundy…?

What was going on? Why was Swineheart there?

They seemed to be stuck in some cramped space with only a small window as a light sours. It almost seemed as if they were stuck in the back of a Van, and thinking about the kidnapping situation they probably were. Bigby had a scary expression as he regarded the scene; the doctor and mundy were hurt while Snow… Well at least Ms White seemed fine. A bit ruffled but then again she'd been forcefully taken from the Woodlands, dropped in a car that could be driving to Silicon Valley for all what they knew. Who wouldn't look ruffled? What Colin could tell from the growl that had escaped Bigby was that he didn't like seeing Snow ruffled, not one bit.

"How do you know he will find us?" Brannigan broke the low car rumble by her question to Snow. The trio in the Business Office suddenly had their undivided attention towards the mirror.

"Well…" Snow seemed to shrug her shoulders even thought it was hard to tell in the dim light. "I guess you can say that he always does."

Colin had his suspicions about who they might be talking about, and looking towards the man in question he had them to. Bigby got two lovely young gals chatting about him as if he's some kind of hero, and what did the pig get? Not even a couch to sleep on.

"What are you getting kidnapped often", the mundy's weak attempt to humor didn't do anything to lighten the mood in the Business Office, but Snow actually laughed. When Ms White's laugh reverberated out of the mirror the sheriff's stiff stance softened, perhaps he was relieved that nothing bad had happened to the Deputy Major… yet.

"No, no actually last time that happened was a long time ago", Snow smiled kindly towards the mundy. Colin must have missed when this bounding thing happened between them as last time he'd checked Snow had been furious at the _Bigby's-apartment-_situation. Women, he silently stamped the weird interaction.

"Wait so you actually have been kidnapped befor–"

"That was a long time ago", Snow cut off the mundy with a wink.

"Right a Fable-thing…"

_Wait what_?

"Precisely."

How the hell did she..? What was going on here?

"But how are you so sure that he will find us? Is it because of this Werewolf thing he got going?"

How did she know, when…? What..? Colin moved his eye's from the mundy… oh sorry the _all-fable-knowing-_mundy to Bluebeard beside him. Wow his face really contrasted to his bear when it was red like that. Obviously he'd been as surprised as Colin when hearing that the mundy knew it all. Everything. Why did she know that? Everything? Weren't Bigby and Snow going to keep her in the dark until she could have her memory removed, or had they just decided that '_nah whatever she's going to forget anyway_' and went along with the history lesson. That didn't make any sense; they were the people following the rules like slaves keeping everyone in line, why would they tell a mundy? Especially one that had managed to go against the witches spell once already?

"What is this that I hear of wolf?" Bluebeard's voice vibrated through the room as he finally took action. "Have you and Ms White risked the whole of Fabletown by telling this…" He gestured towards the mirror struggling to find a fitting word. "This filth of a mundy about us. Do you want us all to be damned–"

"Hold your horses _La Barbe bleue_", Bigby's eyes had not left the mirror as he spoke. "I'm not in the mood for arguing; actually I don't want to waste time on anything other than finding Snow." Bluebeard eye's widened at that. Right Colin had missed to inform him about the kidnapping. Or rather than missed, the pig had never gotten the chance.

"So she's what? Kidnapped…"

"Right." Bluebeard fell silent after that.

Bigby kept on looking into the mirror before turning around and calling out for Bufkin. The monkey came flying down quickly, he'd probably been lurking somewhere with a bottle of wine observing the whole thing.

"Hello Sheriff, bad news?"

"You can say that…" Bigby glanced at the mirror before continuing. "Look Bufkin I need you to keep an eye on Snow through the mirror. If the scenario changes, contact me immediately."

"Yes… sir."

"Good." The sheriff turned around probably with the intention to get out of the office as Colin remembered what he'd come here to do in the first place.

"Sheriff!" Bigby turned and gave the lying pig on the floor a warning look.

Sometimes Colin was certain that this '_sheriff Bigby'_ thing was a charade; a bad acting habit the Big Bad Wolf wore like one wore his or her clothes. Because when Bigby was mad there was no doubt about who really emitted those growls, it was Big and Bad all wrapped into one. That Colin could live with, it was predictable. Almost like the good sheriff's bad past poking it's head out, soon to be concealed once again. But in moments like these, when Bigby turned around with those predator eyes shining like guillotine blades, looking annoyed, Colin doubted. Not that he thought a look of annoyance was anything to be frightened of, hell he lead the competition _having-annoyed-looks-thrown-my-way_. No it was the feeling of being an irritating bug that made him more scared than it should have. Because they all were just that. To the Big Bad Wolf everyone was an irritating bug who could easily be killed if he so desired.

So when Bigby turned around and gave Colin a warning look meaning that this better be damn important, Colin swallowed. He knew that this was 'damn important' and he knew that he wouldn't be 'crushed' like a fly. But it was in the moment of hesitation he questioned if Bigby really had changed? The Big Bad Wolf had seen everyone as a prey, there was nothing saying that Bigby actually had stopped seeing everyone as such. Sometimes Colin was certain that Snow was the only reason that the sheriff remained a protector instead of something they needed protection against. If Snow weren't found… well let's just not go there yet.

"What is it Colin?" Bigby seemed to be in a hurry to be off. Colin would have to keep things short.

"I found a note in your apartment after you left. But Mr Bluebeard here wanted to remove it from my possession."

"I had no idea about the origins of the note Pig–"

"Just shut the fuck up." Bigby startled the arguing couple into silence as he walked over to Colin with determinate steps.

"Show it to me."

Colin obeyed by getting up from the floor, revealing a badly crunched note underneath. Bigby only raised an eyebrow as he bent down to pick up the note with, for once, non-shaking hands.

Colin observed the sheriff as he read through the short message with a frown on his face.

"What does it mean?" The question was directed to Colin and for once the pig had some answers, or at least a theory of the answers.

"It's probably describing the kidnappers. You saw the mess, I mean they must have been more than one person, according to this note probably two– "

"Yeah, two kidnappers I could smell them…." Bigby trailed of as he regarded the note as if he suspected it for hiding things from him. Bufkin sat on the Deputy Major's (A.K.A Snow White's) working desk studying the whole scene with bad contained curiousness. There had been a lot going on the last month and the monkey was probably the best informed fable of them all, seeing that he seemed to be constantly working, drinking or napping at the heart of Fabletown; the Business Office.

"Maybe we could take a look in the books? See which fables we're dealing with?"

"Works for me", Bigby handed over the paper note to the bewinged monkey as he went over to a grand table where the books about fables where stacked in nice rows. He immediately started to search through the titles as Bufkin read the note with a thoughtful expression.

Colin just laid back; he'd finally done his task in this little rescue operation, now he just wanted a beer.

Better sneak out before getting dragged into the mess again. Thought and done, Colin decided that his part in this tale was over… The pig started to quietly sneak towards the door as the sheriff was occupied elsewhere. And Bluebeard, he probably just wanted the pig out of the way, that hateful bastard. Colin thought back at the unpleasant encounters he'd faced as he approached the door out of the Business Office. He wouldn't even be able to drink beer without thinking about that stupid prankster Jack, oh man that boy would regret ever fooling him; he would not let this–

"Colin?" The pig snapped out of his thoughts as a familiar rough voice called out for him. He looked at the door in front of him, merely three or two steps from freedom… But… He looked back at the sheriff who gave him a 'you're-not-going-anywhere' look before turning around as Bufkin joined him at the table.

Freedom was for the lucky ones the ones that didn't have their Major kidnapped, oh sorry Deputy Major (But as much as Cole was gone Snow was major in every aspect except title). Colin sighed dramatic as he turned his pig body around to slowly make his way to the table covered with books. Bluebeard looked at the pig with an irritated frown, as if he thought about what Colin would taste like if he were turned into bacon.

Greedy bastard, for not mentioning murderer.

"So the brothers would be two according to this note?"

"Yes it appears so, sheriff. Still the brother title could represent some kind of companionship. It doesn't necessary have to be brothers by blood?"

"Like some kind of organization?"

"Hey, is it organization now? Like the Crooked Man's organization?" the pig decided to bump in to their conversation, as he had nothing else to do if he wasn't allowed to leave.

Both Bigby and Bufkin turned around as he waltzed up to them firing a charming smile as he tried to peer over the edge of the table, failing miserably. Bigby let a groan escape him as he ignored the pig and went back to searching the books.

"How many secret organizations will be uncovered? Sheriff I'm questioning how you have handled your work– "

"Bluebeard… just fucking don't." Bigby sent a fired look over to the man with the beard who seemed to have recovered himself after the shocking kidnapping news. Bluebeard straightened up and went over to the table where the three fables stood, he didn't seem very pleased over the situation.

"So sheriff, as Ms White isn't here it is to me as her only coworker–"

"Hrm", Bufkin did a deliberate couch as he gave Bluebeard an offended look.

"Oh right", Blubeard turned away his eyes from the monkey in favor for the sheriff. "The only sober coworker who doesn't have a reputation of running away in the sight of danger."

Bufkin did some kind of gesture with his hand. Nothing Colin had ever seen before, but he got the message. Bluebeard looked murderously at the monkey before promptly ignoring the green creature, doing a big show of turning away with a snort.

"As I said, in Ms White's absent it's up to me to run this office, meaning that you have to report to me Wolf. And the first thing I need you to do is giving me all the details about this abduction. So please sheriff… Begin."

Bigby only stared at Bluebeard as he was unsure about what to do. While others might think that the sheriff actually was considering to follow up on Bluebeard's order, Colin new better. He saw that what Bigby actually was considering was if a beheading or a beating would do to shut the blue beard up. Or perhaps he'd just figured he'd found his perfect anger vent doll, considering if breaking him on the first use would be bad.

But as the Sheriff took a deep breath, Colin instantly knew that nothing of that would happen, because Bigby had his priority's;

1) keep Snow safe,

2) smoking,

3) beating up annoying bugs

Right now the top priority was threatened and if beating up Bluebeard wouldn't directly help Snow's safety to be restored, the sheriff simply would put the whole thing on hold. At least for now.

"Bluebeard I don't have time for you, if you want to play your king and knight games wait until Snow's safe."

Bluebeard opened his mouth as if he considered the outcome of protesting but in the end he had the wits to shut up. His first wise move this noon.

Bufkin and Bigby looked through the books but the operation seemed to go on for eternities before they found anything of use. Colin had even begun to consider if he should try to find Bufkin's bottle of wine when an outburst of delight echoed over the grand room.

"I've found it, I think, look sheriff." Bigby had almost leaped to the green monkey's side at the sound and was now looking down on what a happy monkey pointed out.

"It's the tale of '_The_ _four skillful brothers_'. Didn't know that they'd made it out of the homelands…"

Colin listened to the monkey as he felt a vague familiar feeling when hearing the name. Perhaps they'd meet at some point, but right now he didn't remember. Bigby stared down into the book in front of him as his eyes read the information beneath.

"So…" Colin begun, as he wanted to hear more about the brothers. "What's their story?"

Bufkin glanced at the sheriff before returning his attention to the pig. Colin raised an eyebrow at the monkey as Bufkin began to speak.

"Well in a far away kingdom their lived four brothers, real brothers by blood mind you, and they all lived at a farm with their father. They where all sent away from home by their father to learn a trade. One brother learned the trade of thieves, another the trade of hunting, the third the trade of tailoring and the last the trade of astronomy. They returned home and showed their father the skills they had acquired. Their skills where put to the test when the king's daughter got kidnapped–"

"Oh isn't that kind of ironic?"

"Shut up Colin", Bigby nodded for Bufkin to go on.

"Thank you sheriff", the monkey fired an irritated look towards the pig as he continued his tale. "While there might be some kind of irony that now they're the kidnappers while they back then did the rescuing, but as we all now thing's not as they used to–"

"You can say that again", a faint mumble was heard from Bluebeard as he sat by a desk in the far end of the room, filing reports or something like that. Obviously still pissed about earlier.

Bufkin sent another irritated look across the room but this time not towards the pig as he once again tried to restart telling the tale.

"The king promised to allow the one man who saved the princess to marry her. But working together, the four brothers rescued her with help of their learned trades. As the king couldn't decide which one actually saved the princess, he then gave each brother half a kingdom instead. Where they all lived happily ever after."

Colin whistled low. "Well what a tale", the pig said with a mocking voice. "What can a astronomer do anyway? Look at stars?"

Bigby had paused his reading the book and looked up with a thoughtful expression.

"It says here", he brought forth the note left by Snow and the rest. "That the brother's that kidnapped them was the thief and the hunter. Where are the rest?"

"Well, they could be in on it, hiding somewhere else? But they could also be left behind in the homelands if they didn't manage to get out in time…"

Bigby nodded at Bufkin's words as he scratched his cheek. "Let's just presume that they're going to be around just so we don't get any unwanted surprises. Do you have any house record of where they might be? Anything that might help at all?"

Bufkin shook his head. "I already checked the data, but haven't found any records of them at all. For all we knew they had been left back in the homelands."

Bigby only nodded, teeth locked together. Colin regarded the sheriff as he seemed more determinate than before with a steeled gleam in his eyes. He started pacing the room and all the attention was aimed towards the wolf and what his next move would be.

"So, we don't know where the brothers live, we don't know where that car might travel to." He dragged a hand over his face. "We don't even know if we'll be able to see where they are when they arrive…" He turned around and gave Colin a dangerous look, the pig shuddered. "The only one who might know something is Jack…"

So much for forgiveness, Colin just stared at the floor remembering the prankster with fire.

"Do we have any records of his whereabouts anything at a–"

"Hrm, Hrm,", Bigby was interrupted by a not so discreet noise, caused by no one other than Bluebeard himself. "I might know where this kidnapping accomplice might make his nest…" Bluebeard got up from the chair he'd occupied himself in and started to take some confident steps towards Bigby.

"Oh yeah? Then you better spill it out because something is going to be spilled out over this carpet and you have the choice of what it's going to be."

"Tch, Tch learn you're place. If you want this information so badly you've know by now that the fastest way you're going to get it is by cooperating. So…" Bluebeard raised a finger in front of the sheriff and shook his head gently, all while smiling like he'd won the fucking lottery. "If you want his whereabouts you better give me some answers, because I can assure you that Jack is a hard fellow to find… The mirror won't help either if I recall correctly."

Bigby only raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the mirror at the other end of the room. The mirror was actually still out, perhaps interested in what was going on in the business office, but as soon as everyone's eyes was turned towards it, the mirror seemed to lose part of its usually confident appearance.

"Hrm, we had our disputes and for now it seems best, that I avoid helping people who want an arrest."

Bigby didn't seem to take that phrasing to heart as he started taking a threatening step towards the mirror, hands clenched to fists. "What do you mean–"

"Sheriff, you have yourself said that you don't have a lot of time. Shall we make this the quick and easy way, or the hard and slow way?"

Bigby gave Bluebeard a hateful stare before he gave a last firing glance towards the mirror, probably pissed as hell. But in the end the thought of a ruffled Snow on her way towards goals unknown made the sheriff drop his case. He dragged a tired hand over an even more tired face and turned to Bluebeard with an unhappy expression.

"Right, so what are these questions that you want answered?"

* * *

><p>Snow felt how the car started taking curves more frequently and how the speed started to drop. She sent a quick look towards Brannigan and was met with a look of understanding; they were almost at their destined destination. Snow gave Swineheart's shoulder a gentle squeeze but without response. Those weak excuses to men had really hit his head hard, even thought he'd stood with his hands in the air. But fables were strong, Swineheart was strong, he wouldn't be under for much longer.<p>

"But there must be something we can do, right?" Snow turned her head at the sound of the detective's voice with a tired look.

"I don't know Kelsey", she looked around in the small space where they were locked in. "I honestly don't know, but probably we shouldn't do anything rash."

Brannigan lowered her gaze as she thoughtfully chewed on her lower lip, momentarily lost in thoughts. Snow felt slightly concerned for the mundy who the last hour had proved to be a friend. Perhaps it was the kidnapping situation that had made the two of them bond, but then again Snow was used to be in bad situations and nothing like this had occurred before. It could also be the fact that everyone she'd met when in a bad situation had either spit on her attempt at commonship or just rebuffed her before she even attempted conversation. But Brannigan seemed as hungry as she when it came to what was internationally known as friendship. And god knows that Snow needed a friend, especially as things hadn't been great between her and Bigby.

Snow returned her attention to the thinking detective across the cargo space, what would happen when they removed her memory? Could they even remove her memory? And if they couldn't what would happen? Snow shuddered as she remembered the bloodied body of the Crooked Man in the Witching Well chamber; would Bigby see Brannigan as a threat to the community as he'd seen the Crooked Man? Would he dispose of her? Should they dispose of her? Snow shook her head, no they wouldn't. If it came to it Snow would rather be Brannigan's prison guard for the rest of the mundy's life than leave her to be consumed by the Big Bad Wolf.

"We should try to escape." Snow's head snapped up at the sound and found herself staring into the determinate eyes of the detective.

"Wait what?"

"We should make a run for it." Snow's brain was slowly catching up to the detective's words and she looked confused at the clearly insane mundy in front of her.

"Why in heavens name should we do that?"

"Look…" Brannigan's eyes swept worriedly over the wall where's on the other side their kidnappers where driving. She lowered her voice in a conspiring tone. "I've worked with this; I know how a kidnapping proceeds and it's only going to get worse from her on."

"But… But weren't it you who kept on asking what we were going to do?" Snow tried to find any logic in Brannigan's change of heart but failed miserably. Was this the mundy way of panicking?

"Yeah I know, but I guess I just… didn't think. I've never been a victim before and everything is a gamble, it's much easier to take orders than doing the ordering especially when you're life is on the line." The mundy took a deep breath before continuing. "But I just realized that waiting for rescue isn't going to make the odds better."

Snow just looked confused at the detective who suddenly seemed so sure of herself, Snow would even go so far as to say confident.

"Don't you get it Snow? If someone kidnaps another human being, or an almost human being, they're not just going to do it. They're not going to '_woops there I managed to kidnap her, better drop her of in a secure area wherever that might be'_." Snow gave Brannigan a suspicious look as the detective gave her a brief smile. "You know they have planned this, probably in great detail. Perhaps even surveyed the sheriff's apartment? Anyway it's no accident that we're here, they was prepared to take us all. I'm even impressed that I managed to write down that note without anyone noticing–"

"Wait, you did what?"

Brannigan looked surprised at Snow's exclamation and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you?"

"No, you sure as hell forgot to mention that tiny detail about our abduction. Well…" Snow felt herself cross her arms over her chest while asking: "When, what and how?" She gave Brannigan a stare that she'd learned from Bigby, a stare that meant talk and no funny business. The detective only signed as the car took another sharp turn, making them both cringe in its wake.

"Look, I know that I should have told you but we don't have much time. We must go through the plan before we arrive at our destination." Snow only gave Brannigan a suspicious look, not especially pleased with the detective's uncooperative behavior.

"We could have had the whole way here to talk about this plan of yours but instead–"

"I know", Brannigan interrupted. "But I can't exactly order my brain to make a plan on ten minutes flat. Now I have a plan that just might work okay? Listen…" Brannigan stretched over and placed a heavy hand on Snow's shoulder squeezing tightly as the Deputy Major finally let her stubbornness melt away from her face. Snow signed as she made a short hand gesture for the mundy to go on. Brannigan leaned back with a calculating look releasing her hand from Snow's shoulder.

"These people who kidnapped us knew what they were doing, it's no accident that they managed to take us to a car from a, what you've told me, magically warded house. They knew their business and that's why we're on our way to a place unknown. But wherever they're taking us", Brannigan raised a warning finger. "I have no doubt that it will be almost impossible to escape from."

Snow swallowed at Brannigan's words realizing that they were probably true. But she knew that these fables that had kidnapped them had been professional, working like two halves of one body. She still shivered as she remembered how they had held the knife at Swineheart's throat. A sharp blade pressed against the unconscious doctors pale skin, so tightly that it had drawn a drop of blood. How could she have resisted the abduction if doing so would have led to the only fable doctor's throat being sliced in two? The Deputy Major swallowed thickly as she forced herself to look at Brannigan, pushing every other thought into a corner of her mind, just trying to focus. Brannigan studied Snow with worried eyes as Snow nodded to the detective to continue.

"When they've locked us in, there won't be any more chances to escape or try to look for help. Then we'll be stuck. And… It's not that I doubt your sheriff but if I could decide I would rather not leave my faith to someone who might or might not show up."

"Yeah…" Snow answer sounded hesitating even to her ears and she forced her pose to a more confident one. She was the only one in this cargo space not hurt. Brannigan sat there talking about escape, pale and half dead by pain from her shoulder, and Snow… Snow was scared.

She didn't want to be scared, she wanted to be strong. She wanted to be able to take on their abductors, wanted to be able to slit their throats if she wished, she wanted to be able to protect everyone, not just sit here useless and wait for rescue…. But at the same time she really wanted to be rescued of just the one with that kind of power.

_Bigby_.

Earlier she'd thought that it wasn't good to feel safe when Bigby had scared the shit out of Brannigan, but right now the only thing that made her not panic was that thought. That the sheriff, the Crooked Man strangling sheriff, was out there looking for her not stopping for anything or anyone.

God Snow get a grip of yourself, you sound like you did when you met Prince Charming.

"…ey take us from..."

Snow blinked confused at the talking detective. "Sorry what?"

Brannigan looked irritated at Snow. "Look I know it's a lot but Snow I need you to listen now okay?"

Snow only nodded feeling slightly embarrassed that she'd spaced out during such a critical moment.

"When they take us from the car to their hideout, that's when we have the chance to escape. In their hideout we'll be more stuck than a pig before slaughtering but if just one manages to escape there's a great chance to fetch help from the police–"

"No!" Snow's voice almost managed to echo in the small space as she looked stern at the mundy detective. "We won't have any more mundys involved, if we do this the only one we turn to is Bigby."

"But–"

"No Buts"

Brannigan nodded reluctantly: "Fine we go to the wolf." She gave Snow a distant stare as she clutched her shoulder tightly.

"If he'd been a mundy your shot would have killed him. I think you're more than square–"

"Yeah I didn't say anything", Brannigan voice vibrated with badly hidden annoyance and Snow signed tiredly. Now she remembered why she never had any friends, she had a habit of protecting the sheriff actions, not a popular stroke to the fable population. Her eyes followed Brannigan as the detective crossed her arms; it didn't seem to be a popular move with the mundys either.

"About your plan?"

Brannigan uncrossed her arms as she remembered the essence of the conversation; to escape their abductors alive. She turned to Snow and gave the Deputy Major a crooked smile as Snow felt a wave of nervousness creep down her spine.

"How's your running ability?"

* * *

><p>There wasn't a soul in the empty parking lot, well there was now when that big black van did a sharp turn and parked across three parking spaces disrupting the peace.<p>

From the driving seat a lean figure got out with elegance only equaled a great ballet dancer. His face was hidden behind a white mask that only had two holes for his eyes, efficiently hiding any personal features except his raven black hair. His clothes were equally black and with silent steps he made his way to the back of the car. On the passengers side another person emerged less gracefully and with a frustrated groan that echoed over the parking lot. His enormous appearance gave the distinct feeling of giant and he had in contrary to his partner no mask concealing any of his features. The enormous man had a thick mustache and a flow of dark brown hair that framed his sharp face. He brought forth three rifles that he quickly strapped on his back before making his way to the end of the car.

"So, heard anything from Wilhelm? Nothing animalistic following us?" The giant asked his colleague with a raspy voice.

The lean figure shook his head in silence before responding with a smooth tone: "No, they are rather slow to catch on." The masked man took forth something similar to handcuffs, only these ones where made of something wood-alike.

"Good, sure I would love to hunt some Wolf but well I like my hunts to be slow and enjoyable. Nothing spoils my mood as a rushed killing, what's the fun in that, aye?" The big man gave a belly moving laughter as he grabbed ahold of one of his rifles.

"A quick killing is efficiently and silent, you should not underestimate the advantages of that."

"_Tch_, thief talk."

The lean man seemed to give the giant a displeased look, even thought it was hard to say as his face was hidden, before he brought forward a set of car keys. He opened the trunk with quick movements and the doors opened slowly. Inside of the car sat Ms White crying over a lifeless body in her knee, the body was covered in blood and the men outside froze stiff for a moment.

"HELP HER!" Ms White's voice echoed in the silent air and the men started to move with almost panicking movements towards the blood-covered body.

"When the fuck did this happen?! Didn't you say that she was fine!?"

"How the fuck should I know?! It was you who knocked out the doctor you stupid prick!" The masked man moved to the remains of detective Brannigan checking her pulse with long bony fingers. "Fuck I can't find her pulse!"

"Let me try?"

"No you fat idiot all you can do is mess things up, you'll probably strangle her with those fat fingers of yours!" Suddenly the masked man signed in relief as he let go of the detective's throat with shaking hands.

"What? Is she alive?" The giant tried to get a better look on the bloodied mundy on the floor of the car barley fitting through the door as he glanced over his colleague's shoulder.

"Yeah… Fucking hell yeah she's alive…"

"Oh fuck, I was sure we were gonna get it from Mr MB this time. That was way to close."

"Yeah… What the fuck even happened to her?" The lean man turned around to face Ms White with, what was presumed an angry frown, but found himself turn around to nothing. "Wha–" he cut himself short as he noticed a small figure taking a sharp corner around the nearest building. No doubt Ms White, as she seemed to have taken advantage of the situation at hand to make an escape.

"George."

"What?" The gigantic man turned around to face the masked man.

"I think that we're up for a hunt."

"Oh…" The giant named George smiled a chilling smile. "Well, that sounds lovely brother dear."

* * *

><p>There wasn't really a hunt, more of a race, a race Snow knew she was bound to lose. So when she felt the tackle from behind she didn't feel surprised or yelped out in fear, she simply whimpered slightly as the asphalt scraped her face and knees.<p>

God she hated to have scrapes all over her body.

The fat one of the brothers swung her over his shoulder as he said something funny to the masked brother. She saw her hands being trapped by something that looked like handcuffs. But these ones where of wood and started to grow creepers that wriggled around her whole body, squeezing almost unbearable tight, making movement impossible. Well she wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

After a too bumpy ride for Snow's taste they arrived at the opened van. The brothers had talked about someone called Mr MB but she her head spun too much to try to register who they where talking about. Probably their boss, but she didn't have the strength to try to figure out what that might mean at the moment. Snow felt herself shudder in anticipation as they rounded the car and they got a clear look into the cargo space. The empty cargo space (well plus the unconscious form of Dr Swineheart).

"What the fuck."

Snow smiled at the angry exclamation. Their plan had succeeded! Brannigan had managed to escape!

* * *

><p>AN Hello! If you read through it _Awesome_!

I hope that you enjoyed it and like where this is going (if you feel that you have any clue about where this is going (barely I know where it's going)). I would like to give special thanks to everyone that bothered to review it's always nice to see your work be appreciated and compared;)

PS) there's another similar story to this one that you should check out if you like Bibgy dealing with rage issues. It's called: _**Animal**_. And as some have point out to me it's similar in the beginning to this story (_the Wolf Within Us_) but later on it takes a whole different path:)

Until next time… Stay Awesome, Stay _Special_! :)


	5. Chapter 5 - Colleagues in crime-fighting

**The Wolf Within Us**

Chapter 5 – Colleagues in crime-fighting

_Since the battle with the Crooked Man Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans. _

AN/ Hello there! Here I bring you chapter five!

Before we start I will as usual remind everyone about my not so perfect (but apparently okay) English and you can as always leave a review if you have: found any faults, want to cheer me on or simply have any thoughts about the story.

About the story, let me just warn you that it will be spoilers mentioned from _**all**_ the episodes, and that _this_ tale takes place some weeks after the last episode in TWAU.

Disclaimer: No characters below belong to me :'(

* * *

><p>Brannigan had never felt more pain.<p>

As she ran down the deserted street, drenched in her own blood, Brannigan tried to stay positive. Tried and failed. She really wished that she could call the police, have a familiar force behind her in this fairytale mess (oh sorry, fable-mess), but oh no she had to face the sheriff. The same sheriff who'd sliced her up, the same sheriff responsible for the pain she felt right now. This was not a good day.

She inhaled sharply as she limped-ran down the street thinking back on Snow's words about her killing Mr Wolf. Yeah sure if he had been human he would be dead right now because of her. But then again, if he'd been human she wouldn't be hurt now, would she. That made them more than even, at least in her opinion.

She jerked as she heard the sound of a car behind her.

Better hide.

Brannigan threw herself with a painful grunt in the closest alley, praying that the car hadn't been the Brothers. She stood there for a minute or two while the car passed by without slowing down. Thank God for New York, the city that never sleeps, not even midday.

She needed to find a way to locate the sheriff, perhaps finding a fable that could point her in the right direction. Well that was easier said than done, especially since she didn't have a freaking clue about her location except that it lay somewhere quiet, but that was not much to go on really. She needed to think logical… Why didn't she have a map over New York with her on all occasions? Oh right, because she was stupid.

Brannigan started to move out of the alley, looking in both directions of the empty road before stepping into the light. She wouldn't be surprised if someone decided to mug her, after all, alone midday in a dark deserted alley, she almost begged for disaster to happen (but at least it was day and not night). Brannigan started to take a few trembling steps, not in such a rush anymore. After all was there anything more suspicious than a blood drenched lunatic roaming the streets, if she walked perhaps she seemed somewhat… less suspicious?

She shook her head in denial, who did she try to fool? After all, she was alone right now anyway, why bother with problems before they occurred? Brannigan felt somewhat calm as her shoulder didn't feel like liquid fire anymore and her heart had actually stopped pounding like a galloping horse. It was good to calm down, her thoughts started to make sense once again and the lost logic began to reappear in her mind.

There was a traffic light down the street and Brannigan approached it weary. On the other side of the crosswalk stood a drunken couple, busy with swallowing each other's tongues instead of looking at her. They had probably been up all night partying and first now realized that the night was no more, dragging themselves towards home.

Brannigan felt the urge to avoid the duo since her appearance wasn't the most charming one but realized that she was in dear need of location details. And the intoxicated couple looked harmless enough, perhaps they wouldn't even realize that they talked to blood-massacre-Sally before she'd gotten her information. Well, the one who never tries never knows.

The light turned green and Brannigan crossed the street as the pair continued their earlier activity, not even noticing the detective approaching. Brannigan felt like a high school girl again, trying to excuse herself for having her locker behind the popular-snogging-kids make out corner.

"Ehrm", she tried to sound polite even thought the thought of murderous brothers made her pulse speed. "Excuse me but could you perhaps point me in the direction of Bullfinch Street? I ehm… Kind of got lost."

The guy seemed to have heard something vague as he tore himself away from the girl peering at Brannigan with unfocused eyes.

"What?" The guy slurred the simple question, leaning heavy on the girl beside him. Oh boy so this was what happened after too many vodka shots? Well she would know as her ex boyfriend Liam had abandoned her for the liquid in question.

"Yeah", she tried once again surprised that her blood-drenched self hadn't alarmed the guy or the girl. "You know Bullfinch Street? I think it lies in Manhattan's Upper West Side?"

The guy furrowed his brows confused. "What are we in Manhattan?"

Brannigan couldn't help but sigh irritated, well she wasn't likely to get any answers from this guy anyway. The girl beside him looked a bit dazed at the detective, like she was unsure if Brannigan was real. Perhaps it had been more than vodka on the party previous night.

"Wha–" the dazed girl suddenly focused her eyes on Brannigan with a stunned expression. "But you're covered in blood!"

The detective realized that she better come up with something quick as she gave the girl a flashing smile looking nonchalant.

"Oh you mean this?" Brannigan gestured to her bloodied body. "This is just for the theme party", she laughed with a wink. "Did you think it was real?"

The girl's cheeks redden as she twirled a lock around her finger, clearly embarrassed.

"No I just…" She gave Brannigan a pointed look. "No nothing. Come here Brad." She arm-hooked her boyfriend Brad and started to drag him across the street, not even noticing that the walk-sign had turned red. Brannigan exhaled with relief thanking her lucky star and at the same time cursing it for its inactivity.

So they weren't in Manhattan, at least she got that out of the brief conversation. But not being in Manhattan didn't really help her so what was she suppose to do now? She looked around her to take in the views of the neat terraced houses covering both sides of the road. Perhaps that was why this place was so deserted midday, everyone was at work miles away in the center of the Big Apple. Lucky her.

Brannigan guessed that she would just have to keep on wandering aimlessly as she heard the rumbling sound of a motor. This time she didn't throw herself into a dark alley, but she wasn't stupid. The sound of an approaching car might not make her skin crawl as it had done ten minutes ago, but the feeling of being chased was still fresh in her mind making her hide under the staircase to one of the terraced houses. She held her breath as a black van appeared at the faraway end of the street. It drove slowly up the street and Brannigan pressed herself deeper behind the staircase, terrified. Her hands had started to tremble and the pain from her shoulder wound returned full force, making her lock jaws in agony. This was a chase and she was a hurt animal, she couldn't forget that.

It felt like the van took hours to pass her and she had to mentally fight down her flight-instincts during the waiting. But after two eternities the car was gone and after another three eternities Brannigan dared to slowly come out from her hiding spot, ready to flee if necessary.

This was not the time for wandering aimlessly she decided after her blood had stopped pumping in her ears. She needed to get away from the streets and that fast. But she had nowhere to go and no one to call–

Or wait? Sure she couldn't call the police but in an emergency like this she needed help if she ever was going to reach the fable sheriff alive. And wasn't that the whole point of their plan? To find help?

Brannigan limped the rest of the street; ready to throw herself into the shadow should the van reappear. She took aim at a telephone booth down the road and it was with a sigh of relief when she reached it, legs trembling after the stiff walk. She threw herself into the booth, much like Superman in a hurry, as she started to dial the familiar number.

"Please pick up", she mumbled to herself as she sent a worried glance in both directions of the street. Ready to abandon the booth if the van decided to roll down the road once more. The empty tones came and went on the phone, every second making Brannigan's hope about rescue crumble. She realized with desperation that perhaps she wouldn't get any help on this one. Perhaps she would have to do this on her own, like a walkabout where the crocodiles where stalking you and you'd managed to get bitten by two snakes? Brannigan seriously doubted her ability to survive that walkabout but perhaps that was what she would have to face.

"Hello?"

She almost dropped the phone as she heard the familiar voice and somehow everything that she'd held inside her the last twelve hours came pouring out.

"Tom", she whispered into the phone with a sniveling sound. It was quiet for a moment on the line before he answered her back.

"Wha– What happened Kelsey? Are you hurt?" Brannigan felt how she started to cry harder, silently cursing herself for breaking down before it was over. But it just felt so good to hear someone familiar, someone that she loved and loved her back.

"Please Tom, can you just pick me up? Now, _please._"

"Yeah of course", He said with a baffled voice. "Where are you?"

Oh right she didn't know. Brannigan felt her tears well up with new enforced strength as she cursed her shitty situation. She had help, she had someone who loved her so much that he was willing to tear himself from his very important work, just to help her. For once she had someone who could save her on stand by and she couldn't even tell him a proper address. So the main reason why she would probably be hunted down and killed was because of her lacking New York geography skills.

"I don't know", she wailed into the phone, abandoning all hope for rescue.

"Wait Kelsey don't panic…"

Oh the irony in hearing that line from Tom as she usually was the one saying it to him almost made her laugh, _almost_. Don't panic Tom I'll go and fetch Josh from school at once, don't panic Tom the bullet went clean through my leg, don't panic Tom we'll work things out. Just. Don't. Panic.

They'd had so many rows about everything nowadays that she didn't know how they'd managed to avoid talking about splitting up. Tom had wanted her to quit NYPD and do what? Live on him? Take care of his kid Josh who clearly hated her? She'd never felt more humiliated in her whole life and the only reason to why she didn't leave him was because that she knew that he was worried for her. A worry that hadn't disappeared after the 'unconscious accident' at the station and the so-called 'imagined case' that had given her the label ko-ko for life.

"Okay", Brannigan took a deep breath as she fought to keep the panic at bay, clinging onto Tom's voice.

"Good, now look at the houses around you, do you see a sign? Street name?" Tom sounded like mother Theresa herself as he calmly told her what to do. She loved the feeling of being told what to do, like things was bound to work out if she just followed the instructions.

"Street name, street name, ha, why didn't I think of that", she mumbled as she scanned the houses on both sides of the road. There it was! A street name. "Weirfield St", she said excitedly into the phone feeling hope about salvation once again.

"Okay good, just let me check here…" She heard mumbles in the background as Tom spoke to someone or some ones. "Okay", he returned after a minute or so. "It's in Brooklyn, I'm coming right over there, wait close to the phone okay honey?" Tom's voice sounded all funny, like he thought she might have disappeared until he arrived.

"Yes of course", she reassured while checking the street. "Just hurry."

She hung up on the phone and quickly went out the telephone booth. She didn't feel safe here out in the open; better hide until Tom showed up.

* * *

><p>Bigby cursed as he knocked on the door that was said belong to Jack. He would have loved to snap that Bluebeard bastard's neck in two but as it was now he hadn't had time to commit homicide.<p>

He knocked again, a bit harder as he felt a gnawing feeling of wasting his time. Bigby had left the office in a hurry for about one hour ago with the intention to rush off and find Jack. But the New York traffic had efficiently destroyed his plan as he'd managed to get stuck in the lunch break chaos. Why the fable-community had chosen the most chaotic city in the world as their home would always be a mystery to him.

He had now been standing outside the damn door for two minutes and nobody had opened. Bigby dragged a twitching hand over his irritated face; he would just have to do this the old fashioned way.

Jack's door went open with a _bang_ as Bigby's kick did successful work with opening the previously locked door. The said sheriff went over the wood splitter and into the small apartment with confident steps, eyeing the inside.

There were cardboard boxes in every corner of the small place, climbing up the wall in big piles. At the left it was some kind of bathroom, but Bigby's nose warned him from going in, not that it smelled that much worse from the rest of the place, but still. He looked in to the kitchen, which was basically empty except for the many boxes. Someone wasn't too good with decoration.

Bigby looked at a pile of the boxes and decided to open one, just out of curiosity. He went forward and snapped the cardboard open on the closest one, not bothering to be sneaky about his poke about. There were a lot of Styrofoam pieces covering whatever was hiding in the box, but Bigby just stuck his hand down the white mass, trying to find something else than soft polystyrene.

"Hey!"

Bigby's eyes snapped up from the Styrofoam and quickly found the source of the voice, Jack.

"Oh hi Jack, nice of you to pop by." Bigby smiled at Jack as he started walking towards the owner of the apartment. Jack didn't exactly look thrilled to see Bigby as he slowly started to back towards the door, raising his hands in the air.

"Yeah hi there Bigby, didn't see it was you", Jack said with a nervous laughter. "Listen sheriff, this is my apartment and this…", he gestured to the ruined door dangling in its hinges. "…_was_ my door."

Bigby only responded with a low growl at that, speeding up his steps.

"Wait, what do you think you're do–", Jack hadn't time to finish his sentence as Bigby reached for prankster with a blood chilling expression. Jack found himself flung over the small apartment as he crashed into a pile of boxes at the far end wall. He let out a surprised cry before getting literarily buried by the cardboard cubes, brutally silencing the man.

Bigby stalked his pray over the now Styrofoam covered floor with murderous eyes and twitching hands. His eyes were glued to the heap of boxes that hid his victim; it was time for the kidnap-informer to get what he begged for, a good beating. Bigby flung away the boxes that covered Jack with steady hands until the pranksters' dark blond hair came into view. Then the sheriff unceremoniously grabbed the dazed idiot and pressed him up against the wall.

"Who did you tell about the mundy?!" The growl that Bigby emitted was barely English but somehow he managed to get his point across. Jack stared at the wolf with a blank expression before furrowing his brows, coming back to reality.

The look of pure panic on the pranksters face as he realized what was going on, was as good as any confession to the sheriff as he took a good hold of Jack's throat, squeezing.

"Perhaps you can see that I'm not in a good mode." Bigby continued as Jack had a look of silent horrification in his face. "So I expect nothing less than your full cooperation. Am I clear?"

Jack's widened eyes never left the sheriff as his head moved up and down, confirming the sheriff's words.

"Good", Bigby smiled without kindness or joy. "So tell me everything about these people you tipped about the mundy? Who are they, where do they live, where would they take a hostage if they ever felt like kidnap someone?"

If it weren't for the death threat hanging in the air, Jack would probably have laughed. As it was now he simply swallowed, terrified by the feeling of the sheriff's fingers digging into his throat. Jack was usually pretty confident in that he could handle Sheriff Bigby, but this was the Big Bad Wolf running amok! _That_ he wouldn't even _try_ to handle for ten million dollars.

"Listen Bigby, listen", Jack whispered with a wheezing voice. "I'm sorry man but I don't know where they live..." A deafening roar cut him off before he could finish the sentence. Bigby wasn't pleased.

"Do you think that this is a good day to test my patience?" Bigby's yellow eyes shone intensely in the dim apartment light, making this whole scene one from a nightmare, at least according to Jack. He would have to play it smart, meaning spilling everything he knew, fast, and hoping that Bigby would be satisfied. Because if not…

"Hey, hey man I see that. Believe me I'm all in for cooperating but could you… just ease up on the strangling a tiny bit?"

Bigby tightened his grip over Jacks throat for a moment, almost convincing himself that Jack would do more good dead than alive. But as Jack gave the wolf a look of true panic when his airflow was cut off the sheriff dropped him. Even if Jack might do more harm than good, he had information, very much needed information.

Bigby stepped away from the coughing fable, now on the floor, as he started pacing the room, keeping Jack in sight the whole time.

"Okay now you're not in a strangling position anymore, care to talk?" Bigby made his point by stopping dead in his track before Jack, lightening a cigarette. Jack just looked up at the wolf from the floor, fear and hate mixing in his eyes as he opened his mouth.

"Colin didn't exactly make it sound like a secret, I seriously didn't think it was classified information. So when a friend to me asked– "

"A friend?" Bigby blew out a big cloud of smoke as Jack rubbed his bruised throat gently.

"Yeah, well rather than a friend we just call him Mr MB. We usually drink together and so…"

"Wait wait", Bigby held up his hand for Jack to stop. "Who's Mr MB?"

Jack looked uncomfortable, like he didn't really want to give up the identity of this Mr MB, which of course made Bigby all the more curious.

"Well… he… He is more known as the Master Cat or Puss in Booths, very likable once you get to know him–"

"So you _only_ told this MB about the mundy?" Bigby took a threatening steep towards the prankster and raised a demanding eyebrow, waiting for the moment of truth.

"Yes…" Jack sounded heavy as he sat on the floor amongst the spilled Styrofoam, looking miserably. Bigby didn't sense any untruth from the prankster and in his line of work that had become like a sixth sense for him. So with furrowed brows he decided to trust the prankster, for now.

"Where do he live?" Bigby looked merciless at the half broken fable in front of him. "Do you know if he works with or knows professional kidnappers?"

"No, no and no", Jack looked up at Bigby with tired eyes. "I've told you everything I know. I only happened to tell Mr MB because I ran into him, you know how gossip travels…" Jack saw no signs of sympathy from the wolf as he continued. "I mean it isn't everyday as you have a magic resisting mundy in the Woodsla–"

"Wait", Bigby cut off Jack with a dangerous voice. "magic resisting?"

Jack looked uncomfortable at Bigby as he suddenly seemed to have gone from tired to nervous. "Did I say magic resisting? Wasn't it magic interesting?"

Bigby only gave Jack a hard stare as he dropped the cigarette in favor of haling up the fable to press him against the wall once again; he'd had enough of Jack's bullshit. Jack squirmed under the firm pressure from Bigby's forearm across his chest nailing him stuck.

"You sold the mundy out?" Bigby accused with open anger. Jack only squirmed more trying to escape the oncoming storm but failing miserably.

"I didn't know that Mr MB were going to do anything, I don't even know have happened!"

"You knew that this MB looked for what, a magic resisting mundy? That was more than enough! Do you realized what you've done!?"

"I didn't know that shit would go down, otherwise I wouldn't have told him anything!"

Jack felt the pressure on his chest double and he howled in pain as his ribs began to crack. Bigby only gave the prankster a look of disgust as he thought of Snow and about how he might or might not see her again.

"Because of your screw-up Snow is kidnaped!" Bigby heard a satisfying crack as one of Jack's ribs broke, only 23 to go.

But just as he was going to continue this… whatever it was (torture?), Jack's _phone rang_. Bigby tore his gaze away from Jack's face as he heard the ringtones echo in the apartment, disrupting the interrogation. Jack's breathing sounded wheezing in Bigby's ear as he eased up on the pressure, leaving Jack's ribcage mostly intact.

"It's your lucky day", Bigby said to the bruised fable as he dropped him in a heap on the floor. "I am prioritizing this phone call to ending your miserable life." The sheriff left the hurt Jack on the floor as he took a few steps and answered the phone.

"Jack's resident."

"Hello sheriff." Bigby almost jumped as he heard the familiar voice of Bufkin on the other end.

"Bufkin? How did you know I was here?"

"The mirror", he heard a vague accusing tone in the word. He cursed silently as he realized that Bufkin and perhaps Colin and Bluebeard had seen how he handled Jack. Bigby felt somewhere that he'd over done the whole thing but lately he'd had a hard time separating going to far and going far enough. But still, he couldn't force himself to feel sympathy for the sorry bundle wailing on the floor.

"Yeah right", Bigby took another cigarette, noticing with slight joy that his hands didn't tremble anymore. "So I guess something have changed with Snow?"

There was a slight hesitation on the other end at his words and Bigby felt his heart freeze. Something had happened; the only question was how bad it was. If something had happened to Snow he had a anger ventilation doll three steps away, and he wouldn't be late to use it. After Jack had waved his goodbyes to reality he would continue with Bluebeard, destroying that pretty face and taste his flesh, he'd always wondered how a Frenchman tasted and especially one with a blue beard. Would his blood be blue as well? Then he probably should continue with Colin, but something about the pig made it hard. He didn't really want to hurt Colin, even thought Colin had been directly involved with the events leading down to Snow's abduction.

"Sheriff?" Bigby was awaked from his Vendetta-planning as Bufkin's voice called for his attention. Bigby refocused his mind towards the phone with dread.

_Please let her be all right, please let her be all right_.

"Snow is okay, do not worry. Even thought she might be slightly… ehm… ruffled."

"What?" Bigby's thoughts immediately spun out of control. She was ruffled before, when she'd sat in the Van, what exactly did they mean with _slightly ruffled_?

"Just a few scraps, she managed to fall…"

"Fall?"

"Listen", Bufkin sounded impatient. "Brannigan and Snow worked on a plan for escaping and Brannigan succeeded."

Bigby just stood there, stunned to silence of the news. Escaped? Brannigan had escaped? He glanced towards Jack on the floor; _magic resisting mundy_… Was it the mundy that had been the primary goal of the kidnapping? And now the mundy had escaped… Brannigan had escaped. If he managed to get Brannigan, they would have an advantage against the kidnappers… it was just as simple as that.

Bigby felt like a lightning of hope had stricken him, Brannigan had escaped! He needed to find her and guard her from the kidnappers as they must surly be after her in this very moment. It was after all the magic resisting mundy they were after.

"Where is she?!" Bigby didn't care that he sounded desperate when he asked the question.

"She has gotten picked up by this man Tom that she seem to know. Probably her fiancé or husband… They have just arrived to a house, probably somewhere in Forest Hills, Queens."

"Right", Bigby started to hang up the phone as he suddenly remembered something. "You don't have an exact address or so..?"

"No" Bufkin sighed into the other end, putting out the last hope about an easy search.

"Okay, contact me again if anything changes."

"Shall do sheriff."

Bigby hung up the phone as he started to move towards the door, getting ready to leave the messy apartment. But a muted moan stopped him before he'd reached the exit, making him turn around with a thoughtful look.

"You know what?" Bigby asked the nearly unconscious Jack on the floor. "This time you were lucky, but if Snow's even remotely hurt…" the sheriff didn't even finish the sentence as he was certain that he'd gotten his point across anyway. With a last warning look towards the remains of Jack, Bigby left the small rundown place to look for a mundy.

* * *

><p>"Hi", Brannigan smiled towards a pissed off kid in front of her. Josh ignored her greeting and turned to his dad with an angry frown.<p>

"You said that she wouldn't come here until the weekend!" There it came. Brannigan had almost managed to forget Josh and all his accusation about her living off of his dad and her just playing nice for money. Hell she hadn't signed up for falling in love with a wonderful man who clearly had no idea how to raise a child, things like that just sort of happened.

"Yeah but now–" Tom tried to play the lawyer but as always; his skills at his job didn't follow him home.

"And she's all bloody! Ew." Brannigan felt her smile cracking as she regarded the bratty kid in front of her. The worst part was that he could actually be nice, sometimes but not to her obviously. But then and again had she seen Tom in the kid and it made everything so much harder when she couldn't simply hate him. But then again if she'd hated Josh things would definitely never work out between her and Tom.

"Yeah I'm bloody, so please can you fetch some first aid, I'm bleeding all over your expensive mat." Josh did some kind of rude gesture before disappearing into one of the many rooms in the apartment leaving blissful silent in his wake.

"Sorry for that, I didn't think you would come here this week since yeah you know…" Brannigan looked at Tom who had the decency to look ashamed.

"Yeah, it's not always easy you know." She thought back on the argument they had had the previous weekend. She had tried to convince him of that the case she did research for was real. Someone had been beheaded and some ones, or someone else had made everyone forget it. Everyone except her. It was always dangerous to present '_I am the chosen one'_-theories.

Tom mumbled something about blankets as he led her towards the sofa in the living room and left her there. Brannigan clutched her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. Tom would soon return with blankets or whatever, and he would demand an explanation. It was a wonder that he hadn't done it so far, and Brannigan felt herself wonder what she was going to answer.

'_Oh this wound? Yeah I got it when I followed up on that case that made you think I was nuts. Well apparently I aren't nuts, it was the Big Bad Wolf that gave me this wound. Yep you heard me, the same wolf as in that story Little Red Riding Hood, he's here in New York. Apparently all fairytale characters hang out here undercover nowadays. They even have a secret community, that was why they had to wipe the police stations memories, to keep their existence a secret!_' Yep, she was screwed if she said the truth… Perhaps a half-truth would do, like the sheriff's easy version?

She was interrupted from her thoughts as Tom poked his head around the corner. He came carrying a big pile of blankets of which he took one and wrapped around Brannigan's shoulders, laying the other ones to the side.

"So", he said after looking her up and down. "Before you get to shower, which I'm sure you would like to do at once, you have to explain some things to me first." He raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"You mean the whole story?" Brannigan looked at him with Bambi-eyes, those usually worked when she wanted to get off the hook.

"Yes", Tom's gaze stayed unwavering. She recalled when he'd come to pick her up with his car and how his expression had changed from worried to alarmed at the sight of her blood drenched self. She sighed tiredly, happy that she was off the street and the physical pain that came with running, but at the same time depressed about having to deal with this mental pain that came from having a disbelieving boyfriend. And just when she thought that she'd found proof that she wasn't crazy she was ordered not to tell anyone about it.

Crap.

"Well", Brannigan started off, gathering her thoughts. "You know after this weekend after our fight, I was feeling pretty low." Tom looked at her with sad eyes probably remembering the harsh blows that had been dealt and taken. How he had said that this _imaginary-case-chasing_ couldn't continue, if she wanted to be with him she would have to be with him in the reality. How could he trust her if she started to live in her own mind, forgetting what was important?

"Yeah, sorry…" Tom grabbed ahold of her hands and started to apologies for the words that had been exchanged, but Brannigan silent him by raising a hand.

"No don't apologies now, listen to me and if you still feel like apologizing do so." She reclaimed her hands from his grasp, knowing that she needed her full strength if she was going to convince him that she wasn't crazy.

"Listen", she continued with a pained expression. "You know after our fight I… I guess I was just desperate. Chief Allen wouldn't believe me, the Johnsons brothers laughed at me, Miranda thought I was nuts and you…" Brannigan sent a hurt look Tom's direction. "You didn't believe me neither. You also thought I was nuts."

"I never said you where crazy–"

"You might as well have said it." Brannigan braided her hands in her lap, trying to distract herself from tears. She needed to tell Tom this, later on she needed to get to Bullflinch street at once to tell them about the kidnappers and Snow… Snow. Brannigan felt something clench her heart as she thought of Snow, how kind she'd been to her, a so-called mundy detective, and how she'd sacrificed her own freedom for her sake. She remembered how she had insisted that Snow should be the one to make an escape but Snow had simply declined with a '_No this is fable-town business; you have no part of this. Leave fables to deal with fables but just tell Bigby everything when you meet him and then… go home. I'll be alright, have been for thousands of years_.' Brannigan wasn't convinced, but they had so little time to set their plan into action, what else was she suppose to do?

"Hon.." Tom's voice sounded pained.

"No", Brannigan kept her voice emotionless. "Just let me finish okay?"

Tom nodded reluctantly, but even thought he grew quiet he still had that expression on his face; like he thought she would break.

"I went over to the place which I had written down in my interrogation papers."

Tom's eyes widened when he realized where this was going but he kept quiet.

"And", Brannigan continued. "There was this guy there, and he was really familiar and I guess that I just panicked because he didn't exactly seem friendly. So I aimed my gun at him and things became complicated, but it ended with me hurt and him equally hurt later on–"

"Wait", Tom raised his hand as he looked at her confused. "A guy did this to you? A person?" He gestured towards her bloodied shoulder as he had a look of stunned anger on his face.

"Yes, but it wasn't like that…" She didn't need the Punisher right now, she needed Tom, and she needed him to listen to her.

"What the fuck do you mean it wasn't like that?! Did he stab you, did he beat you, is that why your throat is bruised and your shoulder a bloody mess?!" Brannigan twitched as she heard Tom swear; she'd never heard him swear before. But she really wasn't in the mood to be protected or to sell Bigby out; she just wanted to tell her story.

"Listen!" She said once again with an angry frown. "Right now I want to tell you what's going on, I don't need your protectiveness _right now_." Tom looked stunned at her, but the anger in his face didn't disappear.

"No because you do such a well job to take care of yourself! This…" He gestured to the whole of Brannigan's bloodied body. "…Is what gives me nightmares at night. The thought of you being out there everyday, meeting gunfire and scenes that's bound kill you in the end. Especially you!"

"What do you mean with that!" Brannigan felt a familiar fury from the pit of her stomach as she screamed the words.

"That you take chances, you don't think of the people around you! Hell sometimes I think you have a death wish if you count all the times you've come home bloodied and bruised. How do you think that makes me feel huh?!"

"How that makes you feel!? How that makes you feel!? I love my job, you know how hard I have fought to get it, and now you just want me to what? Throw everything I've fought for away?" She felt like they had done this thousand of times before, and they probably had, she just didn't understand why it never stopped hurting? Why every time ended with her feeling less of a person and more of a villain.

"Yeah, if you care about us, you really should consider that! What will I get next time? You all blood-drenched telling me about this guy that shot you, or a letter informing me about your death? I love you, don't you get it?" Tom looked like a broken man as he made his love declaration.

"Well if you love me so much, perhaps you should consider listening to me, not just coming here ordering me around in my own life!"

"Aren't I a part of that life now? Don't I have a say?"

"NO!" She felt herself regret the words as soon as they'd left her lips. Tom just looked down on the floor breathing heavy and for a few minutes they sat like that. Both consumed in the pain they'd caused each other feeling more crap than they had the entire day.

"How is this suppose to work?" Tom finally whispered tired. "If you expect me to live in constant agony for your life?" He looked up at her with tears in his eyes, making Brannigan's breath stutter. She felt guilty; he always managed to make her feel guilty when he looked like that. When he tried to reason with her, but his arguments fell for deaf ears, when he tried to beg to her but she just ignored his prayers. She wished she could say something about his job, being a lawyer, but she never came up with anything that wasn't related to Hollywood productions. He was Mr Perfect, and somehow he'd fallen for a screw-up like her. She guessed that sometimes fairytales did come true… Brannigan found herself laughing silently at the irony of that statement.

"Tom, I love you so much. But you got to listen to me when I tell you this. There's no time for arguing and I must be on my way soon." His head snapped up at that.

"On your way? But, but you're hurt!" He looked at her like she'd grown a second head.

"Yeah, but a friend of mine is in deep trouble and I need to help her and that quick. So just let me finish the story, take a quick shower and then I'll be on my way." Tom just stared at her like he couldn't believe his ears, like she'd just revealed that she was going to Mars as the first female astronaut landing on a new planet (and on Mars).

"What, what..?" He seemed to have a hard time finding his words as his mouth opened and closed several times without making any noise.

"Tom", Brannigan said with a calm voice. "I'm going to shower now, please think things through while I'm gone and when I get back I'll answer your questions and tell you the rest of everything that's been happening." She looked into her fiancés eyes and he looked back into hers with confusion written all over his face. She gave him a soft pat on his shoulder as she left the room, feeling like the biggest jerk in the world.

Brannigan was done ten minutes later, coming out of the shower like a new person. She had washed away the blood and dirt that had managed to plaster itself all over her body and thrown away the cloths that had looked like something taken from a zombie apocalypse. Now she wore new clothes, and even thought the bruise on her throat stood out more after she'd washed, the soothing hot shower had been worth it.

She stepped into the living room only to be greeted by a pacing Tom. He looked up at her when she approached, but avoided her gaze as she went over to sit down in the sofa.

"So where were we?" Brannigan asked as she made herself comfortable still with a big lump of sadness in her throat. Tom went over to her and dragged out a chair to be able to sit across from her. He looked at her with unusual determinate eyes, but also guilty ones, she suddenly felt worried as he dragged a shaking hand through his hair.

"I've…" he paused and bit his lip. "I've called the police." Brannigan looked at him with a shocked expression while she tried to make sense of what he'd just said.

"Wait…" she put her head in her hands for some second before the realization of what he'd done hit her. "You", she looked up at him. "HAVE DONE WHAT?!"

He looked uncomfortable as her eyes drilled into his with unhidden rage. How stupid could he be? And without asking her about it? What. The. Fuck!

"I just…" He seemed to be at loss of what to say. "I just don't think you're fine Kelsey." He seemed to regain a bit of his confident. "You come here torn up after a guy abused you and you don't even seem bothered by it? And then you start going off about this friend of yours and how you must go away even thought you hurt and scared…"

"I'm not scared–"

"Yeah?" Tom asked with a superior voice. "So is that why you were hiding under a staircase when I found you? Trembling and with panicked eyes?" Brannigan found herself stare at her fiancé with unhidden dislike.

"You know what?" She said after a while. "I shouldn't have called you, I really shouldn't. I guess that I wanted to believe that you were better than this, that you trusted me… But hey, even the detectives have wrong sometimes." She turned around and headed without any second thoughts to the door, better to be out of here before the police arrived. Which could be anywhere in between five or fifteen minutes. She was almost at the door when she felt a strong hand grab her upper arm.

"Tom, let go", she murmured with an irritated voice. She tried to yank her arm free, but without success, even thought he was a lawyer and she a detective he'd always been stronger.

"No, I want you to stay here. I'm not going to let you out hurt like that, Kelsey I just can't!"

"Tom", Brannigan raised her voice in a commanding tone. But just as Tom was about to answer her, a knock at the door interrupted him.

_Knock_

Both he and Brannigan peered towards the door as the knock soon repeated itself in an impatient tempo. Please not the police, Brannigan begged as she thought about how to escape the long arm of the police of which she herself belonged in. Tom released her arm in favor of answering the door. Brannigan rubbed at her forearm with an annoyed expression aimed at Tom's back, not that he could see much of it, it was more for her.

Tom opened the door with a thoughtful expression, as Brannigan stood behind him ready for flight or fight if it came to it.

"Hello… and you are?" Brannigan went forward as it clearly wasn't Mr Blue, wondering who would drop by midday. She peaked over Tom's shoulder and was greeted by a familiar sight.

In the corridor outside the apartment stood the man, responsible for nightmares and wounds, sheriff Bigby himself.

"Hi, my name is Bigby. You wouldn't happen to have detective Brannigan inside your apartment now would you?"

"And what is it your business if I have?"

"Well", Bigby scratched his stubble dressed chin. "You can say that we're future colleagues in crime-fighting."

* * *

><p>AN Hello! You've made it through! Awesome:)

I hope that this chapter was to your liking! Next one will come somewhere between five and ten days.

Review and tell me if you liked the stories as it always lights up my day!

Until next time… Stay Awesome, Stay _Special_! :)


	6. Chapter 6 – Retrieving Brannigan

**The Wolf Within Us**

Chapter 6 – Retrieving Brannigan

_Since the battle with the Crooked Man Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans._

AN/ Hello there! It was some time ago!

If anyone wants to know why I haven't updated in a while I'll talk more about that at the bottom AN.

Before we start I will as usual remind everyone about my English grammar and how you can leave a review if you have: found any faults, want to cheer me on or simply have any thoughts about the story.

About the story, let me just warn you that it will be spoilers mentioned from _**all**_ the episodes, and that _this_ tale takes place some weeks after the last episode in TWAU.

Disclaimer: No characters below belong to me :'(

* * *

><p>Tom stared out of the doorway and regarded the man in front of him with wary eyes. He was shorter than him, not by much mind you, but it was enough to make Tom feel somewhat a tiny bit superior. But that was about the only trait in the man that gave Tom a secure feeling. The man who had introduced himself as Bigby stared at Tom with the most peculiar eyes he'd ever seen. Like staring into two burning circles, oblivion being in the middle of the fire with a blackness you could get lost in. Tom felt a shudder run down his spine. He didn't like the look of this Bigby.<p>

Not. One. Bit.

But it wasn't just the man's strange eyes and rasp voice, like a chain-smoking bikers, no it was the look of him. Sure perhaps at first glance he seemed respectable, but the more Tom actually looked at him, the more sure he became that whoever this Bigby was that stood outside the apartment asking for Kelsey, was trouble. He felt a calm wash over him when thinking back on the call he'd made earlier. He hadn't called the police as in 911, but he'd phoned Allan, the chief at the NYPD, who had agreed to send two blokes down by their place. As he kept his eyes trained on the stranger in the doorway he thanked himself that he'd for once interfered in Kelsey's life. If he hadn't who knew what would have happened? But… he cached himself as the worried knot in his stomach tightened once again; the cops weren't here _just_ yet.

The stranger reclaimed Tom's full focus as the man moved from one foot to another, probably expecting to be let in to the apartment. Tom watched the muscles play beneath the shirt of this Bigby and felt a worried pang as he realised that it was real power under that skin. Tom furrowed his brows worriedly as he figured that the man probably could take him out if things got ruff. Not that things would go ruff, but then again, Tom thought as he stared into the eyes of fire, one never knew…

"Bigby", he jumped at the voice from behind his back, it was Kelsey. "Hey Bigby what are you doing here?" He felt how she tried to show him away from the door to get better access to the stranger, but Tom held his position as a blockade between his Kelsey and the dangerous man.

"Kelsey go back", he murmured to her as he eyed Bigby's reaction. The man seemed to look at Tom thoughtfully as in wondering what to make of him. Tom didn't like that look, he felt like prey being sized up, and from the faint blood stain on the mans shirt perhaps he was.

"Excuse me Mr…?" Bigby's rough tune sent Goosebumps over Tom's skin as he shrunk back from the voice that had been filled with badly hidden irritation. He didn't know why he felt like this, he was use to work in court beside the scums of the underworld and he never felt scared, most times they didn't even make him nervous. But this man…

He straightened his back while glaring down at the stranger.

…this man made him want to crawl under a bed and hide.

"Tom, Kelsey's _fiancé_." Tom made sure to put some extra force behind the word fiancé and he noted how the stranger regarded him with a quirked eyebrow at the remark.

"So you're Tom", he said with a joyless smile playing at his lips. "Well Tom, I must ask you if I can borrow Kelsey as she and I are currently working on a _case_." Tom didn't miss the audible difference between the word _case_ and the rest of the sentence. He furrowed his brows as he watched the man with greater dislike. What would he make out of this stranger that literarily screamed danger.

He felt someone tugging at his shirt from behind and realized that Kelsey had done so for the best part of a minute. Well she would have to wait; right now he had to focus on how to keep her safe from herself and her new colleague. He'd never seen Bigby before, and he had been to a lot of NYPD:s after case parties. As he watched the man in front of him, he knew he'd never seen his face before, because Tom was a lawyer, and as a lawyer he never forgot a face. All he could conclude was that if Bigby worked with Kelsey on a case, it wasn't with the NYPD; it was freelance or more probably… a big lie.

"Oh but fuck Tom", Kelsey groaned behind him as he felt a sharp poke at his side. Tom stumbled away from the doorway of sheer surprise leaving room for Kelsey to steep forward, meeting Bigby head on.

"Great, then he's out of the way", Bigby smiled at Kelsey, showing of too many sharp teeth for Tom's liking.

"Yeah…" Kelsey looked hesitantly at her fiancé where he stood some feet away, looking at her with hurt eyes. She managed to pull off looking both guilty and righteous as she after a moment returned her eyes to Bigby. "But he's…"

Bigby interrupted Kelsey by holding up a hand that made her go silent. Tom grinded his teeth silently, he didn't like that someone told his girlfriend what to do. Hell he couldn't even tell her what to do, why did she let someone else…

"No", Bigby stated with firm voice not even bothering with a glance in Tom's direction as he grabbed her arm firmly. "We're leaving now, lets talk in the office."

"But…" Kelsey started before the bastard tugged her with him out of the apartment. Tom jerked awake form his inactive-observation-stance as he almost managed to stumble in his haste to chase after them. Who the hell did this Bigby think he was?

He remembered how Kelsey had spoken to him a quarter ago or so, (shit had it only been a quarter since they sat on the sofa talking) how she had told him about this case. He swore inside as he flung himself out from the apartment spotting them rounding a corner in the far end of the corridor. Kelsey had always been a wild head since the first day and it was probably one of the reasons he loved her. He meet a lot of women all the time, work, After-case-parties, bars, even on the way to work. But perhaps he was a bit nuts, because all he wanted was Kelsey; a cop, a hot-headed detective and the most living thing he'd ever seen. Everyone else had loved the dinners, the talking, the glamor and the flowers, but not Kelsey. She'd dragged him along to a shooting range at the first opportunity and bought him a hot dog on the way home by the subway. No kisses, no diamonds, no talk about the law or his salary, he'd simply fallen in love with someone who saw life as something more than papers and money. Tom would even go so far as to say that he'd fallen in love with the most dangerous person on earth. Because he knew that one day she was going to wake up and realize that he wasn't enough for her. He wasn't strong and adventurous and he wanted her safe from harm, and things were bound to start scattering there, start getting unfixable. Because she was living every day, getting kicks from her work and making a difference, and after the third call from the hospital Tom knew it was only a matter of time before things would get out of hand. It was just hard to love someone for the reasons that would eventually break them apart.

"Kelsey!" Tom screamed as he ran after the couple who had vanished behind the corner. "Kelsey!" He felt his blood pump in his ears as he reached the end of the corridor suddenly coming face to face with the closed doors of the elevator. Tom huffed in frustration as he saw how the elevator was on it's way down to the lobby and that was no other elevator that was on this floor, dammit. Tom took off towards the stairs without hesitation, they where only on the forth floor so if he just ran real quickly perhaps he could catch up to them. He had to catch up to them, he thought as he started sprinting down the stairs careful as not to trip.

* * *

><p>Bigby scratched his cheek as he felt the slow movements of the elevator. Why did the damn thing move so fucking slow? He let out a breath trough his nose trying to muster up patience that he really didn't have. At least he had Brannigan here now anyway. She stood beside him in the elevator, looking slightly off as she just stood there and stared out in the air, probably remembering her fucking fiancé. Who on the other hand had seemed like fucking Prince Charming 2.0, making Bigby immediately dislike him. He had smelled too clean to him, making him distrust the man, that and that he'd dared to look down at him like his height had made him the dominant counterpart. Well if Bigby just had been in his true form the twit would have been looking up at him crawling into a corner blinded with fear. But that was beside the point.<p>

Bigby sent a glance towards Brannigan as she stood beside him with a vacant expression on her face, staring into nothing. He sighed and dragged a hand through his hair; which had started to tremble again. The sheriff silently wondered what Brannigan thought about all this, her fiancé had made it clear that he'd been opposing to her go crime hunting with Bigby which frankly he couldn't care less about as the guy surely was some rich-daddy's boy who slept in a king-sized bed on feather madrassas. But, he thought as he sent another glance in Brannigan's direction, he cared about what she thought. They hadn't really had the greatest experience with each other but she'd at least seemed willing to come with him and help find Snow. She'd been with Snow in that van and from what the mirror showed, comforted the Deputy Major as well as thinking up an escape plan with her. So even thought he still had a persistent pain in his side, she had huge bandages wrapped around her shoulder and a throat that screamed mistreatment. He would even go so far as to say that he might still owe her another shot if his healing factor was taken into account.

At least she'd seem willing to come with him out of the apartment away from her fiancé, but he couldn't be sure, perhaps she was still afraid of him? Afraid that he would do something to this Tommy fellow of hers if she didn't come with him, did he care if so was the case? Probably _yes_, for some unknown reason.

"Are we going back to this office?"

Brannigan suddenly seemed to have recovered from her daze as she turned and looked at him calmly with a carefully arranged expression. Bigby took a deep breath through his nose, noticing a faint smell of fear and nervousness but those emotions where easily overshadowed by the feeling of determination that literarily radiated off of her. She had her mind set on something, hopefully to help him, as he didn't have time to deal with another Jack.

"Yeah", he answered with a jagged voice as the elevator chimed that they had reached the entrance floor. Brannigan took hesitantly a step towards him with an uncertain expression in her face, like she wondered if whatever she was going to do was worth it.

"Ehm, I…" She started before she trailed of, leaving a wondering sheriff in her wake as she seemed to think something though. "I just wanted to say thank you for getting me out of the apartment", Brannigan finally said smiling slightly at her own words. Bigby stared surprised at the detective as his mind started taking loops around why she would thank him for dragging her away from rich-daddy's-boy who seemed to fit into the description of every woman's dream. Perhaps he wasn't all that dreamy underneath, he certainly wouldn't be the first wolf dressed up in sheep cloths and silk.

"Ehm…" Bigby replayed as the elevator door begun to open. "You're welcome."

"Hey you!"

Bigby's eyes snapped away from Brannigan and to the annoying sight of her fiancé standing outside the elevator trying to catch his breath. "You…*huff*… didn't think that you… *haah*… could just disappear like that…" Rich-Tommy tried to make some kind of statement but whatever heroic gesture he was trying to make didn't shine through his tired state. Bigby felt the annoyance return as he regarded the sorry excuse of a male. If your woman was thanking another man for taking her away from her fiancé you were out of luck as a partner. Not really a situation Bigby could picture, if he ever managed to lay his hands on Snow (or perhaps he should say lay his paws on Snow) he would make damn sure that she was perfectly happy for the rest of her life. He would make _very_ sure that she didn't feel the need to flee from him, and if that meant holding back some of his true nature, well so be it.

"Kelsey… *huff*… What are you thinking?!" Oh the annoying fly spoke again.

Brannigan looked almost pained at the man in front of them, stepping out to the lobby and passing her fiancé with jerking movements. Like it actually made her physical hurt to be close to him, Bigby follower with quiet steps behind the detective. He glanced at Tom's confused face as Brannigan had quite deliberately ignored him and just passed by.

"Kelsey!" Tommy-boy regained life and grabbed her arm after twitching around. He kept a steady hold of her arm even when she immediately tried to tear away from his grasp and furrowed his eyebrows confused.

"Fuck Tom!" Brannigan screamed as her 'ignoring-façade' dropped and whatever pain had been hidden inside her flared up to the surface. Bigby stood hovering to the side, feeling like doing something, preferably hurting Tommy-boy, only hesitating because of Brannigan. If that dude hadn't been _someone_ to her, he would have knocked him out a long time ago, at first sight preferably. But then again she seemed to want to get away from him, especially as she tried to fight her way out of his grasp, but she would manage that without him.

But he was wrong. Tom grabbed Brannigan's other arm and Bigby immediately realised that _no_… She would not get out of her fiancés hold by herself. Funny, Bigby thought as he started to move towards the wrestling couple. That Tom didn't seem so strong, he had been certain that Brannigan would have been able to take him out. But then again this wasn't the fist time he was wrong.

"Hey", Bigby snarled at Tommy-boy as he yanked his hands away from Brannigan arms. "She told you to let go." Bigby felt his voice turn into a low growl at the end of the sentence and smirked satisfied when Tom's heartbeat started dancing in response.

Brannigan had stopped yelling and just stood beside Bigby holding onto one of his arms, like she tried to hold him still. Perhaps she was afraid that he would hurt Tom, which wasn't an unlikely scenario.

Usually Bigby felt like he could control his anger, that constant anger that he'd felt so many years now that it had become a habit. But now things were hard and with Snow out there somewhere, things was bound to become even more difficult. Hell he would kill, rip and devour anyone if it helped save that girl he knew he was never going to get. He would even go so far as to become the sheriff of a town where people feared and hated him. What he wouldn't do for Snow.

Brannigan grasped his arm harder tugging it gently against the exit of the lobby.

"Come let's go", she hurried with a hammering heart. She reeked of fear but not for her own sake. She feared for the possibility that the sheriff had grown tired with her idiot to fiancé and frankly… he had. But he wouldn't do anything to him, Bigby's priority was finding Snow and he needed Brannigan's cooperation. Harming her loved one was only a sure way to delay Snow's rescue. In other words, Tom could have been much more of a dick and Bigby wouldn't have cared at the moment… Unfortunately neither Brannigan nor Tommy-boy was aware of this.

"Let's just go", Brannigan tried again tugging at Bigby's arm harder. Her fiancé just looked at them with an angry frown and fisted hands, like he was on the brink of going on a rampage. Bigby only growled inwards as he didn't feel like staying or turning his back at the idiot who seemed to build up to a rage fit. Shit and here he'd preached about not hurting the mundy, well he wouldn't hit first at least.

"Yeah", he agreed after a moment's hesitation and allowed Brannigan to drag him towards the exit. "Let's get out of here."

He started to back away from Tom with Brannigan at his side as he suddenly heard someone approach from behind. Brannigan sucked in a huff of air and swore under her breath as the steps stopped a meter or so away from them. Bigby was still to let Tom go with his eyes but his nose picked up a faint smell of donuts and gunpowder from the newly arrived, which lead him to the simply conclusion that someone had called the mundy cops. He joined Brannigan in her cursing as he wondered how the fuck the cops had managed to arrive so quickly? The only time he'd let Tommy-boy out of sight was when he'd dragged Brannigan away from the apartment and last time he'd checked cops didn't arrive two minutes after a phone call.

"Is everything all right here?" The cop behind them asked with a stern voice. Fuck, Snow hated to use the community's money on memory-wiping spells and if this confrontation didn't work out (something he highly doubted) the witches would have to work overtime the next month. Well as long as he had Snow there to complain at him he didn't mind working overtime or getting yelled at. It was way better than the alternative: never seeing her again.

"Kelsey isn't herself at the moment", Tom urged as he took a step closer towards Bigby and Brannigan. "Eric you know that case she's been on about, things have gotten worse." Bigby turned around so that he had Brannigan behind him and both the cops and Tom in view. There were two cops whereas the one called Eric had stepped forward and regarded him with suspicious eyes.

"And who is this?" He asked Tom and gestured towards Bigby. Bigby couldn't suppress a low growl at being talked about in third person and Eric's eyes imminently snapped back to watch him, suspicion written all over his face.

"Who the fuck are you to come in here anyway? We haven't done shit and now you're going to do what? Arrest us?" Bigby tried to contain the anger that displayed in his voice and body language, but he couldn't straight up from the crunching attack pose he'd taken.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck_ he thought as he tried to relax and keep the wolf inside at bay. This is not a good time to go berserk as a creature of nightmares, but something about the officers and that good-for-nothing fiancé was just rubbing him the wrong way. Honestly, this whole situation had rubbed him the wrong way from the beginning.

"Hey dude don't go sassy on me…"

"Fuck Eric why the hell are you even here?" Brannigan interrupted Eric who had gotten gradually redder in the face after Bigby's comment.

"Why the hell do you think Kelsey?" Tom interrupted her as he took a step closer towards the officers to join them in a united front. "Because you are not well! Because you found some bodybuilder-maniac who tells you what? That he's a private investigator who will help you with your imaginary chopped-off-head-case?"

Brannigan looked at Tom and actually started to cry. Bigby felt uncomfortable and judging from Eric and the other officer's look they felt as much out of place as him.

"Fuck you Tom Adams!" Brannigan suddenly hollered and showed him her middle finger with a snarl. Tom just looked frustrated at her and clenched his hands hard at his sides. Eric coughed discreetly in his hand with a look of embarrassment as the four pair of eyes was turned in his direction.

"Kelsey", he started with a heavy sigh. "Honestly I have to take you with me. You know you've had it a long time coming…"

"She's not going anywhere", Bigby spat out and looked at Eric with dangerous eyes. He looked back into yellow-glowing orbs and swallowed soundly at the sight. Bigby smirked mockingly at his reaction, making him grow red as he straightened his back with an angry frown.

"Hey, I don't know who you think you are…" Eric started with a dangerous edge to his voice.

"You can call me sheriff", Bigby offered and showed Eric his teeth in a twisted version of a smile thus making both the cops and Tommy-boy suppress a shudder. But it didn't matter that they hid their fear from appearing as Bigby could hear the quickstep their hearts was making and smell the heavy odour of dread that hung in the air. Everything was really unnecessary proof because it was just a fact that people feared him, it was a natural reaction and the only one who hadn't feared him was currently far away from here. Probably locked up somewhere in a van or a basement being (as Bufkin had said) slightly ruffled from tripping. Why was this shit happening when all he wanted to do was beat the crap out of the four brothers and that damn MB?!

"Wha- What do you mean by sheriff? Are you some kind of self-pronounced hero getting kicks of people calling you sheriff?" Eric tried to be cocky but Bigby just grinned slightly, still not tearing his gaze away from the trio in front of him.

"Well one thing is certain, I can't imagine that anyone would get 'kicks' from you calling them sheriff. Isn't that right?" Bigby nodded towards the quiet police officer beside Eric, who reddened at his statement.

"What the fuck!" Eric replayed looking confused and guilt-ridden at the same time, Brannigan shifted nervous behind him as Bigby rolled his eyes.

"Oh please", Bigby snorted grimly. "I could smell him all over you from over here…" True to his words Bigby had smelt an odd scent in the air and it had dawned on him first now what it had been, still he realized that it had been a punch in a sensitive spot, not that he usually pulled any punches when it came to douchebags such as the Eric-brat.

"Wha…" Brannigan just sounded astonished when she seemed to try to puzzle the pieces together. Tom looked equally surprised, only he didn't know what to do except staring at Bigby with doubting eyes and off-put anger. Eric stared at the sheriff with open hate and the other officer just looked like he wanted to sink beneath the earth. The lobby was for the fist time completely silent.

Then Brannigan started giggling.

Four pair of eyes turned towards her as she bent over laughing out load. She grew suddenly quiet and looked up at Eric for a short moment but then quickly burst open with newfound laughter. Bigby could almost feel the anger gathered in Eric and he carefully observed the body movements of the officer.

"So…." Brannigan managed after a while, her laughter making her red in the face and breathless in her speech. "That's why you always rejected Kate! And here I thought you had some secret girlfriend that you meet up with every night while it was just…" Brannigan had to stop because of her stomach hurting so much of held-back laughter. "You are such a fucking douchebag, you know that?" She continued after a while, with giggles colouring her voice. Bigby only regarded the silence that greeted Brannigan's laughter and how the trio looked far away from the united front that had greeted them some minutes ago. Eric still looked like he might murder someone as soon as he got the chance while the other officer (Eric's lover supposedly) looked down on the ground with red ears. Tom just looked out of place as usual, Bigby seriously couldn't get Brannigan's choice of partner, but then again who was he to judge?

"Fuck Ethan why do you put up with his shit?" Brannigan suddenly demanded as all signs of laughter left her features instantly. "He's the worst fucking sort at the station…"

"Shut up", the quiet officer, apparently named Ethan, cried. "You don't know fucking shit, you're a loony and we're getting you to the station!" Ethan suddenly took a step forward towards them and Bigby growled warningly at his attempts to approach.

Shit had gone down faster than expected but the police duo was trouble meant to happen from the beginning so Bigby realized that talking time was over as well as the peaceful parting option that probably never been an option at all. Now it was time to try and not kill any mundys and protect Brannigan whatever the cost, because he needed her. Bigby felt himself get ready for battle and how the wolf in him howled for blood as it took all his strength just not to transform right there. Fuck this would be tough.

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><p>Snow awoke and opened her eyes. She didn't notice any difference thought, as it was still just as dark as if she'd continued to have her eyes closed. She leaned her head back against the chair she apparently was tied to. At least she hoped that it was a chair as she was tied to something she sat on. For a moment she questioned why she was bound to a chair? Wasn't she supposed to be at the business office? Or in her apartment? Why was she here in a basement or whatever it was, bound to a chair and unable to move? Then it all dawned for her. How she'd been brutally forced into the black van together with Kelsey and doctor Swineheart. How she and Brannigan had planed an escape plan and how she'd been placed in this dark room where she'd obviously fallen asleep, tied up to a chair. She silently wondered if Brannigan had managed to get away? The two brothers had dumped her here quickly before leaving her, presumably to look after Kelsey.<p>

Snow closed her eyes and felt dull pain all over her body. Must have been from her fall, or rather from getting tackled to the ground by a 200-pound muscle dude with no sensitivity at all.

Snow tried to wriggle out of her ties but noticed that whatever had her stuck actually tightened when she tried to get out. Snow stilled after a moment sure that it just wasn't any use in trying to escape, she would have to face it that she was stuck here for the time being.

She relaxed with a huff and felt the heavy feeling of unease settle over her. This dark place reminded her too much about being buried alive and Snow had always had a distinct fear of just that. Perhaps it had been since she'd slept in a crystal coffin for months in an uneasy sleep that had poisoned her mind with nightmares she feared that she would never forget. She felt a bitter taste in her mouth when thinking that the dwarfs actually had put her in a coffin when she'd merely been asleep. The Deputy Major guessed that she could only thank her lucky star that they hadn't buried her in their hast to get rid of her, but then again if they had she wouldn't be in this situation.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that at first, she didn't notice the light some feet or so away from her face, but suddenly she registered that she could see and Snow would have fallen off her chair in sheer surprise if it hadn't been for the strange creeper rope that was wrapped around her and the chair. A few feet away stood a peculiar man she hadn't seen before. He seemed small and uncertain and not at all threatening, actually he looked like a nice fellow. He wore a pair of round glasses and a green shirt with his sleeves rolled up. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding as she regarded the little man with a nervous laughter; he just stared back at her silently.

"Hi?" She tried as it didn't look like he was going to speak anytime soon. He jumped a bit at the sound of her voice and she couldn't help but compare him to a frightened squirrel, jumpy even thought it was her who was tied up.

"Who are you?" She tried again as it didn't seem like he was going to reply to her hello. "You can't by any chance help me to get out of here?" Snow continued even thought she highly doubting that he would even consider it. He would probably scurry away any moment now, leaving behind darkness and loneliness.

True to thought, as soon as he heard her ask for help he jerked nervously and started to back away. Snow tried to not feel the disappointment that burned in her chest as she watched the funny little man disappear from her sight, closing a door that must be stationed behind her silently and leaving the room in darkness.

The minutes dragged on and Snow tried to not think about her situation. Why had she been kidnapped? What had happened to Kelsey? Had she manage to find Bigby or had she gone against her word about not contacting the mundy cops? How wise had it really been to let her loose on the street? The questions swivelled in Snow's head as she tried not to feel the panic that clawed from inside. She shouldn't be here; she should be at the business office and trying to restore Fabletown to its right order, a order that Crane had messed up so bad that she found herself doubt that it would ever be restored. Her mind drifted off towards her dark co-worker Bigby and how things weren't what they'd used to be.

Back before the Crookedman it hadn't been uncommon for them to walk down the street together grab a coffee, run a business errand you name it. But that didn't happen anymore. There had been so much going on of late and Snow just couldn't seem to stop working, stop trying to fix things that constantly fucked up. Perhaps she was angry as well. Angry that Bigby was strong, that he could do whatever he wanted if he wished, that he sometimes treated her as if she was made of porcelain.

She found herself sometimes wondering about how he felt after taking shit from Colin, Gren, Crane, even her. Why he faced it when he back in the homelands would have killed them all for even looking at him wrong, why did he take their shit now? Had he really transformed to a caring sheriff? Snow thought back at the corpse of the Crookedman in his arms and how he just didn't seem to understand that he'd done something wrong. How he'd simply stated that the Crookedman had been a problem and that he'd now eliminated the problem. She shuddered, Snow had yet to see the day when she feared harm from Bigby, but that didn't mean that he didn't scare her sometimes. She worried about him more times than she cared to count and for all her worries she couldn't do a damn thing except beg him to stop when he went to far. Because if the Big Bad Wolf was set on doing something Snow wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to stop him, but if it were the other way around, Bigby could easily hinder her without even trying.

She sighed at the thought of him and everything that made their friendship complicated and hard. She'd gone trough this in her head more times than she cared to count and she was still torn between the secure feeling to have him by her side and the feeling of scrubbing his floor free from blood. It didn't seem like she could have one without the other and sometimes it was all just too much.

Snow took a deep breath as she tried not to stray down that path as she knew it didn't lead to anywhere. She'd walked down that trail of thoughts so many times and in the end she always came back empty handed.

She flexed her hands that were bound in front of her as the creeper around them tightened its hold slightly. Snow needed to get her priorities straight; right now she was stuck in a basement, probably. She was stuck and once again she was the damsel in distress, but that didn't mean that she should sit inactive and wait for Prince Charming. She shuddered as she remembered the bastard. No, she shook her head. She would pay attention, use her big eyes and pretty face to play the part, pretending to be dumb make her guards lose their caution and then when the time was right, she would escape (if not Bigby reached to her first). This doesn't necessary have to be a bad thing she thought unconvincingly to herself as she for the first time started to spot shapes in the darkness. Her eyes were finally adapting to the light. And that little guy that had been here before, he might come again and he seemed nice in a way, not like the brothers. She silently wondered if the small guy also was a brother but they seemed so different that she doubted it, but she could never be sure. All she would have to do now was to bide her time because she was not a weak mundy, she was a fable and a damn strong fable at that.

I mean, Snow thought, I'm freaking Snow White there's not a single person in the mundy- or the fable world that hasn't heard about me. Just wait, I'm getting out of here as soon as they make their first mistake…

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><p>Brannigan looked at the scene in front of her and she was seconds away from panicking. The only thing that kept her from doing just that was years of experience in the force, she needed to keep her head cool.<p>

She regarded her oncoming opponents with an oddly familiar feeling as she used to work with them every day. Eric had always been a bastard and she would actually not mind if he got injured because of all the shit he'd been pulling at the station. A real "Alpha male" if he'd describe himself and sadly many at the station regarded him as just that. Brannigan knew that he was young for being in the force and that he had a fondness of guns and unnecessary action. That he'd been having a secret relationship with quiet Ethan had just seemed so surreal. Ethan was nice; he treated all the girls at the station as an equal and never used more violence than necessary. But then again he was very quiet, not the common sort of guy that joined the force, because the people who joined was either out for glory or blood.

Brannigan realized now that she shouldn't have laughed. It had been stupid. But after crying for Tom, (who she honestly doubted she would ever forgive) being hurt in her shoulder and getting kidnapped she'd just flipped. And now, things seemed to spin out of control fast as Ethan crept closer with his gun pointed in front of him, Eric backing him up with a sadistic smile.

"Oh I guess that you're not so cocky now _Sheriff_." Eric drawled on the word sheriff with a mocking tone and destroyed his usually handsome face with a twisted expression. Bigby seemed to just keep his eyes on Ethan approaching, emitting a warning rumble that grew louder for every inch Ethan advanced.

"You sure you want to fucking do this kid?" Bigby growled to Ethan who momentarily froze in his tracks before continuing his advances with a more determinate expression.

"Please put your hands in the air and step towards the wall." Ethan's voice trembled slightly as he jerked with his gun towards the wall behind them. Brannigan really didn't feel like going to the station and she knew that Bigby would rather kill them than getting locked in when Snow was in danger. She also noticed that he covered her body in a similar manner that he'd done to Snow when Brannigan had pointed a gun at them in his apartment merely hours ago (oh boy the tables turned fast). She felt oddly touched at the gesture and reassured in that she had the most dangerous man (wolf?) she'd ever meet protecting her, she didn't even feel all that nervous about the gun. What did send her heart hammering was the thought of watching people die. Brannigan didn't want that, but what could she do? If Mr Big and Bad really felt like killing people not even Ms White would be able to stop him let alone her. So she just swallowed thickly as Ethan signed the doom of everyone in the room, preying that the mission: 'finding Ms Snow as soon as possible', would keep Bigby from wasting time with killing people, they just needed to get out of here.

"I said raise your hands!" Ethan looked at them with visible fear as he raised his weapon to point at Bigby's chest. Brannigan got a sudden flashback from earlier today and she bit her lip from screaming at him to lower the damn gun because she knew Ethan wouldn't listen to her. Something about male pride just made every shitty situation even shittier and this one was no exception. Eric and Ethan obviously didn't want anyone to know that they were a couple and here was Bigby literarily sniffing out their secret. Then Kelsey had started to laugh… In other words hurt male pride; the most stupid concept ever invented. Therefor this was going to be bloody, she just wished that she knew in which degree of bloody they where talking about.

"This is your last chance. Put. The. Gun. Fucking. DOWN!" Bigby's back tensed as a big bang was heard before them. Brannigan felt something smack into her right arm that sent painful tremors up her shoulder as she looked down at it. In her arm there was a bullet hole just beneath her elbow; Brannigan looked in shock at the small hole that lead through her arm and jerked when it suddenly started to pour blood out of the wound. Her mouth formed a surprised O as she gave a high-pitched scream at the blooming pain. Bigby had fallen into a heap before her, blood pouring out of his side; Brannigan pitied him through her own agony before sending a heated glare in Ethan's direction.

"FUCK YOU", she screamed at him trying to find an outlet for the pain that brought back the shoulder hurt combined with the new agony.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Tom suddenly leaped towards Ethan who looked confused and scared at Bigby's lifeless form. He tore the gun out of Ethan's shaking hands and threw it away across the otherwise empty lobby.

"I CALLED YOU TO HELP ME! NOT TO FUCKING KILL PEOPLE!" Brannigan felt stunned at seeing Tom in such a rage fit. He trembled with fury and actually smacked Ethan across the cheek with the backside of his hand. Ethan just whined weakly at the hit, too occupied with being confused and shocked to have any other reaction to the backhand. Eric just stood there, not smiling anymore, just looking scared and pale. Brannigan tried to calm down but the pain was just too much for her to think straight and she started to see black around the edges of her vision.

Suddenly the whole lobby went quiet as Bigby started to move. Brannigan leaned against a wall as she watched the beginning of the end. This was the second time today that the sheriff had been shot and this time Snow wasn't remotely close and Brannigan felt herself on the verge of unconsciousness. There was literarily nothing stopping him from being Big and being Bad and no matter what anyone said that was his true element. Brannigan had reckoned as much the short time she'd known him and she was damn good on figuring people out if she might say so herself.

Bigby gave an earth-shaking growl as his stance had lost a part of its humanity, but he was yet to appear as the Wolman that had been inches from slicing her open earlier this morning. Right now he just looked like a human that was possessed by a wolf, and wasn't that a fitting description.

Brannigan gulped and pushed herself off the wall, she needed to keep killing out of the picture, she needed to do something, she needed…

The detective felt how her vision turned black as she with a panicking thought realized that she was loosing consciousness.

Fuck! Not now! Not now… She felt how the blackness took over as she fell onto the carped dressed floor, her last thoughts being on how things had been normal yesterday and how she today 'almost died' more times than she cared to count. How she was pathetically weak and if anyone were dead when she woke up, she would have no one to blame but herself.

And perhaps the Big Bad Wolf.

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><p>AN Hello! You've made it through! Awesome:)

I would first like to thank everyone who has reviewed! If it weren't for you guys I might actually taken a _longer_ break before continuing with this fiction. Now you helped me to regain motivation and for that you have my eternal gratitude!:)

As why I haven't updated (it's fairly simple explanation): I've started university. The first weeks where too intense to be true and it's first now that things have started to calm down a notch (but there's still crazy much that's going on).

So from here on I will try to update as often as possible but I can't guarantee when the next chapter will be up even thought I will try to post a minimum of once a month.

Review and tell me if you liked the stories as it brings a shout of joy when I hear my readers opinions!

Until next time… Stay Awesome, Stay _Special_! :)


	7. Chapter 7 - Arms

**The Wolf Within Us**

Chapter 7 – Arms

_Since the battle with the Crooked Man Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans._

AN/ Hello there once again!

Fist I would just like to thank all wonderful human beings that have cheered me on by reviving, following the story or simply put it on alert! ^^ Seriously guys U make my days so much brighter!

As usual before we start I will give a reminder about my English grammar and how you can leave a review if you have: found any faults, want to cheer me on or simply have any thoughts about the story (it makes me happy as well^^).

About the story, let me just warn you that it will be spoilers mentioned from _**all**_ the episodes, and that _this_ tale takes place some weeks after the last episode in TWAU.

Disclaimer: No characters below belong to me :'(

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><p>Allan got up from his desk as he saw his secretary Mary sprint down the corridor towards his office. He noticed through the half-window wall how her face wore a worried scowl and could almost hear her heart hammering. Something bad had happened.<p>

It somehow reminded him of the time when she'd come to him like this last time. She'd told him the disturbing news about the Upper West station, the one in Manhattan, and how they had lost all contact with them. That time he'd imagined thugs with guns, police massacre and organized crime but after sending down the emergency squad and informing the guvnor everything had turned out to be false alarm.

When he'd gotten down there himself, it had been like stepping into a surreal realm of reality. Because every damn officer in that building snored loudly and had for some reason a bloody nose. But the worst part was that they wouldn't wake up. The medic tried for several hours with all sorts of tricks but nothing could even make the officers twitch. At last one of the female detectives, Ms Brannigan herself, had awoken with a crushing headache, mumbling something about a Mr Wolf. Nothing had been resolved but Allan held his suspicions.

The head of police liked to think of himself as a rational man, but of late things had stopped being logical and explainable. He just hoped that his secretary wouldn't start screaming about one of those unexplained happenings, like hundreds of officers slipping into a coma-sleep for five hours.

"Mr Allan", his secretary slammed the door open and stood before him on shaking legs, exhausted from her short sprint. Impressive really as she wore notable high heels.

"Yes", Allan answered and straightened his back while his brain tried to brace itself for whatever was to come.

"It's about unit four, that one you sent down past Forest Hills", she took a deep breath before continuing with a squeaking voice. "They're at the emergency department", she finished and looked shaken at her own words. Allan felt himself stiffen slightly at Mary's words as he thought back on the call he'd gotten from Tom Adams. He knew that detective Brannigan had been unstable the past few weeks and that her fiancé had asked them for help hadn't really come as a surprise. He'd sent down Eric and that quiet officer, having no doubt in mind that they would manage to handle one girl, even thought she was a detective. What could possibly have gone wrong?

"What happened exactly?" He asked the anxious secretary in front of him as he felt a chill run down his spine.

"No one really knows, sir", she said in a shaking voice, leaning against the doorframe to steady herself. "But we got a call some minutes ago from a Mr Smith about an accident, so we sent down a unit together with the ambulance. But I never thought…" She grew quiet as she held up a hand in front of her mouth, like she wanted to hide a sob. Something really bad must have happened for her to be this upset. He just hoped that it had nothing to do with the boys he'd sent down. The chief of police just studied his secretary while his fantasy got the better of him as he started to image scenarios filled with red.

"Go on", he urged her gravely, having to hold back not to snap at her. Why was the woman crying instead of reporting? She nodded after a few seconds; taking a deep breath she picked up where she'd left off.

"According to unit six, the one we sent down with the ambulance, it looks like some kind of animal-"

"Animal?" Allan repeated and raised an eyebrow. His secretary nodded and looked at him with a firm expression.

Shit, he thought as he felt his heart clench in a cold manner, already thinking about what to say to Caroline, Eric's mother. Was he dead? How was it with the other one… Ethan?

"An animal, or more like a predatory. Something that makes a mess anyway", Mary concluded quietly.

"Oh...", Allan mumbled as realization dawned. There must be casualties; someone didn't simply make a 'mess' out of two NY-cops without going all the way. The police chief studied the small secretary and how she seemed to grow smaller for every word she reported to him. She obviously didn't have the stomach to be a police, but then again she was just a secretary and it was unusual that things like this happened. Allan felt like lightening a cigar as he considered her words. A mess, she said… He glanced her over as she stood shuddering in his doorway, deciding against better judgment to let her off the hook.

"Ehm", he started hesitantly. "I just wondered if any of the boys from unit six are back? I would like to speak with them in person."

Mary nodded at her dismissal seeming relieved as she went out from the office on unstable legs. Allan watched her head over towards her desk, presumably to make a phone call. The head of police closed his eyes for a quiet moment, thinking back at Mr Adams phone call. It had been brief and there had been about Brannigan and her illusions, nothing really surprising or dangerous. Even thought his best female detective had been out of it a lot these days she wasn't dangerous. Still, he felt a sharp feeling of guilt twist in his stomach as he yearned for one of those damn cigars. Perhaps he should have sent down more men? But Mr Adam had only mentioned that Ms Brannigan had come home a bit ruffled. Or as Adam had called it; like she'd showered in blood and fallen down on a few stakes. Perhaps Allan should have taken him more seriously?

The chief of police hummed sadly as he dragged a tired hand over his face, trying to fit things together, see a pattern. Lost in thoughts about what or whom this presumably creature might be, he didn't notice when the first officer from unit six arrived.

Allan jerked surprised at the sound of the knock on the door and it took a moment before he realized it was Johan, one of the officers he'd asked to meet. Allan gesticulated the officer to come in and as Johan closed the door behind him the police chief smiled at him reassuring.

"Hey Johan", he said as they exchanged a firm handshake, making the officer relax slightly before he took a seat.

"Hello Chief Allan", he answered in return looking around in the office with nervous movements. Like he wanted to make sure that he wasn't caught in any death traps by sitting on the lone chair in front of the grand desk.

"So", Allan said after a moment or two of thick silence. He stared into John's eye's that seemed to be faraway from this; somewhere else, seeing something else. "Would you like to tell me what you encountered when in Queens? According to Mary…" He did a vague gesture against his secretary out in the hall. "… It seemed to be something very… bad." He paused as he studied how the officer shuddered involuntarily. "Or what is your opinion Johan?"

Johan seemed uncomfortable; as he appeared to gather his courage to go through whatever this was one more time. Allan placed his head on his right hand, listening carefully as Johan began to speak with a soft voice.

"Well chief, it's just that it didn't seem real at first. You know there's a lot of messed up things that goes on here in NY but…" John drifted off again, staring out in space, faraway from the small office.

"Why don't you start from the beginning", Allan interrupted with a raised eyebrow. "Start from when you first arrived."

Officer Johan blinked before nodding at the preposition, letting out a deep breath before continuing:

"Well we got there in five or ten minutes after the call, and everything seemed fine. Possibly just another prank call we thought as this 'Mr Smith'…" Johan mumbled the name with sarcasm dripping form his tone. "…didn't report anything else except injured men at Forest Hill. We wouldn't even have joined up with the ambulance if we hadn't known about Eric and Ethan going there earlier."

Allan nodded for Johan to continue as the man's face went slightly paler at the mentioning of his colleagues.

"Go on."

Johan seemed to concentrate on breathing for a moment before continuing, obviously avoiding getting distraught.

"Yeah", he answered as his knot hands tightened in his lap. "Nothing special happened on the way there… It was just I, Philip and Jasp- Uh I mean officer Johnson and-"

"Yeah that's quite alright", Allan interrupted and waved for the officer to get to the point, not caring at the moment about proper titles.

"Well", the officer continued with a slight treble to his voice. "I think we all got this funny feeling just before we stepped in through the door. Like we was in some kind of horror movie because I just knew that there was something wrong behind the door…" Johan paused momentarily in his story, stiffening slightly before whispering: "It was just so much blood."

The man suddenly put his forehead in his hands, breathing quickly. Almost as if he was fighting a panic attack and Allan immediately went around the work desk to crouch down beside the man. He put a hand on the officer's back as he gradually calmed down and his breathing returned to something close to normal.

"Take it easy", he said as the shuddering man just took another deep breath.

"It's just"… Johan started after some moments of silence. "It's just that it's not some random victim. It's Eric and Ethan. I went to school with Eric, hell he was even best man at my wedding." The officer looked up at Allan with fire in his eyes. "We must catch whoever did this. It must be some fucking monster, probably a psycho-killer who enjoyed carving out the innards of puppies as a kid." The officers eyes where lit up with hate directed towards whoever had hurt his colleagues and his breathing had stopped wheezing. But there was still something off with the man, his eyes where still empty and small trembles kept running down his body.

"Of course", Allan said and squeezed Johan's shoulder with a firm hand. He got up from his position and went back behind the desk. He sat down and looked Johan up and down as he offered the man a cigar from his own package.

"Thanks, but no", the man answered with a strange voice. Allan only nodded as he put back the package and returned his full attention to the man in front of him.

"Please officer, do you feel like you can continue? Or would you rather wait to report?"

"No", Johan answered immediately looking cross at himself. "It's just… to close to home I suppose", he almost mumbled the end of the sentence. "But", he spoke up, looking determinate. "When we opened the door to the lobby, things had already gone to hell. It… It was so much blood everywhere, It felt like someone had emptied five buckets of pig blood over the place but then again there was three people who'd been close to slaughtered in there. We went into the lobby and at first it felt like stepping into one of those horror-flicks where they try to make everything look as gruesome as possible." Johan's eyes drifted away towards somewhere behind the police chief. "It all felt soo… surreal." Allan only nodded, curiosity killing him as he wondered exactly what they had seen and what had happened.

"But", Johan continued after a while. "Then when I saw that one of those lumps of meat lying half eaten on the floor was Eric…"

He had to stop talking as he turned around from the Police chief, seemingly nauseous at the memory.

He turned back eventually with a paler face and an even quieter voice, the determinate body language reduced to stillness and avoidance. Allan just waited for the man to continue in his own pace, holding thousands of theory's at bay until he'd heard the whole story.

"I was so sure that he was dead. I could have bet my life on it…" He stared out into space as gruesome pictures of earlier today wandered across his eyes. Allan breathed out in relief, he hadn't been sure about what to think, Mary hadn't said anything about any casualties but as Johan had acted he'd been certain there'd been at least one torn up body in the lobby.

"So they're just hurt?" Allan mumbled wondering to the man who seemed to be spacing out once again.

Johan snapped back to reality. "Just hurt?!" He looked at the chief like he'd just proposed to the queen of England. "Just. Hurt? Chief…" Officer Johan looked Allan deep in the eyes as he continued with a grave voice. "He took their fucking arms."

* * *

><p>Brannigan woke up to the feeling of pain. It was so strong and piercing that she couldn't even manage to scream. She felt the pain intensify in her left arm right below her elbow, she gritted her teeth as tears of agony started to pour down her face. Brannigan felt how her body trembled violently on it own as she felt how the world around her began to spin.<p>

"Calm down."

She heard the rough voice above her as she felt strong hands hold her down when her body began to spasm on whatever hard bed someone had placed her on.

The pain only increased but she couldn't make herself stop the jerking movements as the spikes of raw hurt sent her body into uncontrolled action.

"It hurts, it hurts, it HURTS!" Brannigan's mouth lived it's own life as she repeated the words like a mantra without being able to stop. Her mind was running wild as blurry memories of blood washed over her and the feeling off hysteria only increased as the scream she had inside her finally got out.

She screamed to her hearts content. Or at least she did so for about two seconds before a rough hand forcefully clamped itself over her mouth. She tried to scream at the hands owner to let go, but all sounds she tried to emit was efficiently silenced as she her pulse gradually started to slow down.

She stopped jerking after a while and with no more intention to either fight or scream the hands holding her disappeared, leaving a drained and tired detective in their wake. Brannigan still felt the burning sensation in her shoulder, but the pain was easier to withstand somehow, like her body had started to accept the sting rather than fight it. She exhaled slowly as she felt how her pulse drummed in her throat.

The memories came back after a moment of breathing. Memories of Tom, painful ones.

He'd betrayed her. Called the cops on her and then labeled her a loony before trying to keep her in place until the cops arrived. If Bigby hadn't arrived…

She almost resumed her earlier trashing as a picture of an angry wolf flashed through her mind. The shaking fear of seeing Tom as a victim of the unleashed anger made her more scared than she'd ever been before.

That fucking retarded Eric had shot her! That was the next thought that popped into her mind as she connected her wounded arm becoming even more wounded thanks to that A-hole.

But even thought she liked to find Eric right away and have him feel her pain, her mind soon returned to Tom. How was he? Was he at all? Or had he become one of the many victims of the Big Bad Wolf. Brannigan didn't know but she immediately opened her eyes in search of answers.

She found herself staring into a hazel brown color. It was the color of a pair of eyes that gazed down at her. They seemed somehow familiar as well as strange. She couldn't recall that she'd seen them anywhere before but it still felt like she had… Then she took in the rest of the face.

It was almost funny actually how different Bigby was when his eyes weren't burning or he looked ready to slay something because of anger. He almost looked human.

"Hey, you okay?" Bigby's voice was still the same thought, a resound of jaggedness mixed with a low rumble. The familiarity made the detective relax as she somehow felt more at ease with anger and glowing yellow than calmness and humanity, at least when it came to the wolf.

She was a detective after all and she didn't like avoidance in people's behavior, it made them unpredictable. And seeing a pair of hazel eyes stare back at her instead of orbs of fire was somehow unsettling.

"What happened?" She whispered, afraid of the answer but the detective in her knew that not knowing was worse.

Bigby looked away from her eyes, not a good sign, as he scratched the back of his neck. His eyes glowed faintly yellow as he seemed to think back to the lobby.

"He hurt you", he said at least… As if that was explanation enough, as if that somehow would make things to come less brutal or more forgivingly. Brannigan feared where this was going; she'd heard this start of a confession too many times to not know what would follow.

'It was an accident, I never meant to kill her.'

'He threatened my sister, what was I suppose to do just let him walk away?'

'She started it, how was I suppose to know that she suddenly had changed her mind?'

They always had excuses, had reasons but it didn't matter in the end. The only thing that mattered was that they were locked behind iron bars before they got any more 'reasons' against new people.

"Did you kill Tom", Brannigan whispered as she felt tears gather in her eyes. She would never be able to live with herself knowing that she was basically the reason why Tom had died. Her mind started to walk down a dark path before Bigby gave his answer. She thought of Josh and how he'd always seemed to hate her and he'd been right the whole time to do so. Brannigan started to cry silent tears as she thought of Tom. Sure he'd been a jerk in the end but he'd always wanted what was best for her, had always tried to protect her. What had she for right to live? When she'd basically killed the only man who'd ever really cared…? Just because she wanted to have fucking suicide-thrills and risk her life in work-

"Hey wait a minute!" Bigby's voice brought her back to the presence as he grabbed her head between his hands. "I never said I killed him, why're you going all Doomsday on me?" His intense gaze was impossible to evade as his presence kept Brannigan's dark thoughts at bay. "Look… Kelsey." She sobered up when he used her forename… that had been a first. He looked deep into her eyes to the point that she almost felt invaded by his stare. Like she bared her soul for him where she laid helpless beneath.

"I. Did. Not. Kill. Him." He pronounced every word like he was talking to a five-year-old and Brannigan simply nodded her head as she greedily clung to the words like a lifeboat in a storm.

"He's alive", she whispered quietly when Bigby freed her face from his firm hold. He nodded as confirmation and Brannigan felt a great pressure leave her as she smiled through new tears that streamed down her face. "Sorry", she said as she laughed weakly. "Sorry, for doubting…"

Bigby only shook his head as his eyes hardened. "You had every right to", he mumbled as something dark shimmered in his hazel brown eyes. Brannigan's relief came to an abrupt stop as she realized that Tom hadn't been the only person in that lobby. She also only knew that Tom was alive… He could be hurt. She felt the throbbing pain from the shoulder wound Bigby inflicted as she without a doubt knew that Tom could be seriously injured.

"How bad?" She asked as she tried to keep her worry out of her voice.

"Tom is unhurt, barely scratched", Bigby murmured as his head disappeared from over her. Brannigan went through the painful movement to move as she regarded the king-sized bed she was currently occupying. Bigby had moved from the bedside to a chair only half a meter away from the detective, as grand windows showing a New York at night decorated the wall behind him.

"Scratched?" Brannigan couldn't help but ask with a small voice, feeling exhausted from just moving her head to the right.

Bigby formed his hand like a claw as he did a sweeping motion with his hand in the air. Brannigan couldn't help but swallow as her mind raced through the different possibilities.

"And Eric and Ethan", she asked with a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Arms."

Brannigan did a double take on that statement: "What?"

Bigby only grunted irritated as his eyes gleamed with a faint yellow. "I took their arms." He said as he seemed to look at anything but the NYPD detective in front of him.

"You… wait..." Brannigan's brain ran amok as she tried to comprehend the true meaning of the sheriff's words. "You like tore them off?"

"Yes, something like that."

"Ah." Brannigan tore her gaze from the disturbingly untouched Bigby as she tried to think about it rationally. Tried and failed.

With a jerk that made her vision's edge turn slightly black, Brannigan gave in to the overwhelming feeling to vomit.

"Hey!" Bigby shouted as he quickly got up from his chair to avoid the splatter.

"Urgh, Sorry." Brannigan mumbled as she felt her stomach twitch again. "I think that it's coming more."

"Shit", Bigby mumbled before disappearing from Brannigan's vision a few seconds before reappearing with a bucket. Brannigan nodded thankfully as he carefully helped her to sit up in the bed as her stomach made another painful constriction. He held her hair as she crouched over the bucket with a muffled cry of pain.

"Shouldn't have told you so soon." He mumbled as Brannigan leaned back against the headboard of the bed. The detective only breathed as she felt a horrible taste in her mouth. The image of loose arms hadn't really been a good mental picture in her weakened state. She doubted that maimed body parts ever was a great mental boost weather you were sick or not.

"Sorry for the mess", she huffed after awhile when her pulse had stopped beating like crazy. "Should I pay someone for new sheets?"

Bigby only gave her a glance as he got up from his chair and strolled over to a nearby phone.

"Don't bother", he replayed as he dialed a number. "The jerk who used who live here deserves it. Deserves hell of a lot more than vomit on his sheets if you get my meaning."

Brannigan shudder as Bigby seemed to get through to whomever he was calling.

"Hey Flycatcher, there's some cleaning to do can you come by..? Yeah we're in Crane's old apartment..."

* * *

><p>Bigby paced around the office as he waited for Brannigan to be done. She had insisted to continue with the investigation as soon as possible, which considering her injuries meant 12 hours later.<p>

It was late afternoon now and Bigby had spent the whole day talking to the mundy detective. She had told him everything she'd known.

All from the voices and appearances of the two mysterious 'brothers' kidnapping them, to how they had pursued her when she'd manage to escape. One of the brothers had worn a mask according to Brannigan and had been quiet and fast, probably the assassin of the four brothers. While the other one had been a giant with several weapons and an enormous beard. They both agreed about that he probably was the Hunter.

But where were the other two brothers? The stargazer and the tailor? Brannigan thought that they might lie back due to their abilities that weren't exactly optimal for kidnapping. But then again how did this Mr MB aka 'Puss in boots' fit into all this?

Bigby's head hurt as he started to think about the _if's_ and _how's_ in this case and it didn't help that Snow was in the middle of it either.

He'd had told Brannigan about what Jack had said (leaving out the detail that he'd almost broken all his ribs finding out) about the detective being the target. Brannigan had gone into some sort of shock first before getting angry. _Very angry_.

Bigby had had to literarily roar in her face so that she wouldn't mess up her wound. That had made her calm down and look at him with big eyes for the next quarter. Like she was scared that he was going to say: 'fuck it all, I'll just eat you instead so the kidnappers won't have any reason for keeping Snow'. Not that the thought hadn't crossed his mind during their kidnapping-speculations, but he didn't feel like hurting Brannigan again. He'd come to respect the mundy detective and her willingness to help him; even at the time when she'd been locked up safely with her fiancé she'd joined him.

So after Brannigan had calmed down a notch about what kinds of '_A-hole-Fables'_ it must be who kidnapped a weak female mundy, things had been quiet. Bigby had let her sleep as he'd gone mirror scouting, finding all the brothers as well as Snow. She'd looked worn and dirty, hidden in a cellar somewhere far away from any light. It had killed him to see her there, looking lost but still putting up a brave front. He noticed that she was tied by something akin to creepers that whirled around her body, tying her to a chair. He'd looked it up with the help of Bufkin. Obviously it had been a magical binding from the homelands, holding its prisoner with deadly accuracy, tightening if she or he tried to resist its unyielding force.

The sheriff felt a strong urge to use those very creepers to strangle the brothers, all four of them, slowly.

But he soon shook those red thoughts out of his head. He could do that once he laid his hands on them, but first he had to find them. The brothers didn't show very clearly in the mirror, it was like someone had blurred the whole thing, and he couldn't really distinguee any real features from any of them… Except perhaps the hunter who was a fucking giant judging of his blurred form.

What he had found on the other hand was Mr MB in a bar. The once cat obviously wore a glamor as a lean man sat at the bar-desk smoking away. All the while covered with annoying shadows that played over the man's face. He'd manage to make out the name of the bar thought: _The Lion and the Unicorn_.

He planned to go there soon, as soon as Brannigan had slept away the worst of her pain. He needed the rest as well, perhaps not the sleep as bad as just taking it easy and think things through. He had actually been on a 24 hours long rampage in his haste to find Snow. But now he had Brannigan, he had the real target under his protection and if they wanted her they wouldn't dare to even touch Snow. Not that he would sacrifice Brannigan, but it felt good to know that he could at least fake his cards if it came to it. The detective would get it, she wasn't slowwitted, and that coming from Bigby meant something.

They would go down to that bar and act casual. He'd noticed that it wasn't a fable place, all they had was '_The Trip Trap'_ since that _Hollow-tree_ bar shut down due to lack of customers. But it seemed like one of those good old-fashioned places at least, not ten thousand screaming teens or music loud enough to make you permanently deaf. It was down by the River shore only half an hour by taxi.

Bigby dragged a tired hand over his even more tired face. It was a miracle that his eyes weren't glowing yellow anymore; perhaps it was because of the rest? Or the fact that he had four new items to add to his collection of now five arms (Greg's included)… Anyhow he didn't feel an overwhelming feeling of slicing anyone in two anymore, he could finally loosen his steel hard self-control and just relax…

"Sheriff!"

And there went the relaxation.

"What is this that I hear of? Mundies at the hospital! Arms slice-"

"Yeah, yeah Bluebeard", Bigby scowled at the angry man who'd shattered his moment of peacefulness. "I suspected you would find me."

"Is that all you have to say for yourself you-"

"I thought you liked my interrogation methods?" The sheriff interrupted as the sweet feeling of '_wanting to destroy'_ returned; so much for loosening up on that grip over his inner animal.

"Listen here! I run this office and I won't tolerate-!"

"Snow runs this office", Bigby cut off with a growl. And the room had been so blessedly quiet mere moments ago. Now here was Bluebeard not only trying to whack him over the head but also trying to slither his way into Snow's seat as Deputy Major. But Bigby wouldn't have that.

Not. At. All.

"Bigby?" He turned his head away from Bluebeard, two seconds away from smashing that blue bearded face in the desk between them. It might actually improve his health if he could just find a little stress release by whacking Bluebeards head against the hard wooden surface (repeatedly).

But through the door came none other than Brannigan herself… Or perhaps he should call her Kelsey by now? She'd always called him Bigby from the beginning perhaps it was time to return the gesture.

"Hi Kelsey", he said as his voice lost some of it's previous irritation. The detective looked surprised for a moment that he used her forename but shrugged it off as she walked up to the duo.

"I'm ready now", she said as she touched her shoulder absentmindedly while looking suspiciously at Bluebeard. "Hi", she said after a quick eye search. "My name is detective Brannigan, perhaps you've heard about me?"

She didn't offer the blue bearded bastard her hand or anything but he still took it upon himself to grab ahold of her left hand and-

"AH!" Brannigan's suddenly cry of pain made Bigby surge into action as he grabbed ahold of Bluebeards hand that still held onto Brannigan's hurt one.

"Let go you fucking moron!" He growled, feeling how his eyes lost their mundy color as his true eye color shone through.

"Wait, wait, I should have said something about my arm", Brannigan placed a hand on Bigby's arm as reassurance. Which frankly did nothing to help ease his mood, but it made him put a lid over his feral emotions as he shot death glares at Bluebeard.

Bigby let go of the Frenchman's arm where a bruise already was beginning to form. He couldn't stop a low rumble to slip out but then again 'a low rumble' was a pretty impressive bottling up of his raging emotions.

"Listen, let's just go alright?" Brannigan or rather Kelsey smiled tightly towards him. Like she didn't want him to go all wolf again, didn't want him to rip off Bluebeards arms-

Bigby stopped himself in his trail of swirling thought. Well that was an idea.

"No, no, no", Kelsey interrupted Bigby from his dark temptations as she began to actually drag him out from the office.

"I know that look, and I'm not having any more of it!" She actually managed to move him halfway across the room towards the door as Bigby kept on glaring at Bluebeard. The man simply looked undignified at the duo leaving the office giving a small pitiful smile in the sheriff's direction.

"Better follow orders dog."

Bigby only had the time to growl lowly as he let the weak mundy manhandle him out of the office.

* * *

><p>"Hello! Welcome to '<em>The Lion and the Unicorn<em>! What can I do for this lovely couple?"

Bigby stared at the funny man in front of him, he wore a black suit and a creepy smile plastered on his face. He assumed that the grin was supposed to be inviting and friendly, but frankly if he hadn't had business in this bar he would have turn around at the sight of it.

"Yeah", Kelsey laughed weakly beside him as her heart did a nervous flutter. "We were just going to grab a drink-"

"Marvelous", the slender mundy-clown-man said while smiling with the power of a thousands suns.

"Shit didn't know that this was a bar for nutcases", Bigby whispered lowly to Kelsey. She turned sharply towards the sheriff.

"Just so you know I don't really think craziness exist, just different perspectives of reality." She sounded confident and ruthless as she actually returned the smile to the giant clown-man in front of them.

Right she had a crazy-complex since this Fable-nobody-believes-me business. Bigby shook his head as he scanned the bar behind the smiling toothpick.

The bar was popular, that much was evident. Nothing like the empty seats at _The Trip Trap_ or the reeking hollowness at the Hollow-tree deal while it had still been running.

Here where people everywhere.

"Yo Tally, whatcha doin' with the new guests?" A big man came up from behind the bar and slammed a gigantic hand into this Tally-the-clown-fellow's back. It was probably meant as a friendly pat but Tally almost crashed into Bigby as the strength of the enormous man was plain to see.

"Op'sis keep forgetting about that", the man mused as Tally retreated to a nearby table, leaving Kelsey and Bigby to fend for themselves.

"Hi", Brannigan spoke up to the giant as Bigby observed the man with a suspicious frown. He was almost as big as Woody but not quite; his eyes were bright and judging from his appearance he worked the bar.

His eye's found Brannigan's and he gave her a golden smile… literarily golden as every one of his teeths seemed to have been replaced with a golden replica.

"Are ya new to the Lion and his horse Mrs?" the bartender asked while giving Bigby a quick searching look. The sheriff knew he looked like trouble on two legs but he hoped that Brannigan's less ruffian appearance would overweight his. He refused to play harmless prince charming, that was just not his way of doing things.

"Oh yes!" Brannigan said with a nervous laughter while fingering her bullet-wounded arm.

"Well then don't let me stop you! Come in! First drinks on the house."

Bigby and Kelsey started to move further in the bar as the crowd around them moved in a confusing swirl.

Somehow something felt fishy, and Bigby had a distinct feeling of neither liking this place, that Tally fellow nor the bartender. He just had one of his hunches that it was bound to be trouble and frankly he couldn't even tell which way was out, there was just such a fuss of bodies and odors at this place.

But he kept his gaze firm on Kelsey's back as they moved further in. If there was going to be trouble he had some boiling emotions that just waited for an opportunity to be worked out.

It was just this fucking feeling of walking into a trap… And he sure as hell didn't like that.

Not. One. Bit.

* * *

><p>"Chief?"<p>

The bloody heap on the hospital bed mumbled with something that had once been a human voice. Now that voice was ugly and scarred from shouting in pain and suffers. Allan almost cried at the knowledge that two of his boys had just lost everything. He shut his eyes as if to spare him the sight of officer Eric Banner, two arms shorter and a thousand bruises bluer.

The Chief of police felt like his own arms had been ripped away. He wished that his own arms had been ripped away, if only to spare his men the pain. But it was not the pain that had been that would be worst, it was the pain to come.

To wake up every morning unable to dress yourself, unable to eat, to go to the bathroom, to drive or to pay for the damn buss by yourself. The life these two men were facing would involve 24-h daycare, kneeling on the floor to pick up dropped items with their teeths and eating like a dog. They would never have a job again? Not as police officers anyway. Not really as anything as far as Allan's brain reckoned while running through different professions. Even damn librarians used their hands.

"Chief?" The body to one of his former finest shooters asked again. Former… He would never be able to shoot a gun again.

"I'm here son", he whispered as he forced himself to look down on his own creation. If he'd just sent down more men… Perhaps things would have been different. Or perhaps things would just be worse.

"I'm sorry chief but he was just such a monster…" The man said with a trembling voice as tears ran down his cheeks. Allan ignored the tears, it wouldn't help to acknowledge them.

"Not your fault", he whispered to Eric as the man gazed up at him under thick layer of bandages and morphine.

"But if we-"

"Not. Your. Fault." The chief of police said with finality.

Eric deflated his rasp response as he fell down into the medicine realm that made his pain ease slightly as well as making his thoughts cloudy.

Allan stood beside the maimed man feeling a growing hole in his chest.

"I promise you we'll get him", he whispered to the ex officer with gleaming eyes.

"If it's so the last damn thing I do."

* * *

><p>DUN-DUN-DUN! :O<p>

AN/ Hello! You've made it through! Awesome:)

Hi everyone! I hope that you still follow the story even thought it takes a while between updates:)

Right now university takes up a lot of time as I study math and computer programming hopefully making it into game development in five years or so if I'm lucky! :D

Until then I just have to stick to letting my fantasy flow through imagination instead!

So do not fear the updates will be here! (best rhyme ever!)

Until next time… Stay Awesome, Stay _Special_! :)


	8. Chapter 8 – Inside Lions and Unicorns

**The Wolf Within Us**

Chapter 8 – Inside Lions and Unicorns

_Since the battle with the Crooked Man Bigby's wolf side is stronger than ever and the sheriff is unsure of how he will handle it. Things get more complicated when a mundy comes on an unexpected visit to Bigby's apartment looking for answers. Things do not go according to plans._

AN/ Hello everyone! Was a while ago… I'm just going to let the chapter speak for itself and leave an extended authors-note after the chapter for those who care;)

About the story, let me just warn you that it will be spoilers mentioned from _**all**_ the episodes, and that _this_ tale takes place some weeks after the last episode in TWAU.

Disclaimer: No characters below belong to me :'(

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><p>Bigby followed Kelsey as she walked behind the counter with that suspicious bartender leading the way. Bigby had felt confused by the people and the smells ever since he walked past the first set of tables. He was after all a wolf, and even if his glamor somewhat managed to conceal the smell and noise it wasn't enough. It was in situations like this that he couldn't help but long for empty fields and the quiet moonlight. Once he'd had all that. All of the moons grace and the red hunger for meat…<p>

But that had been without Snow. And somehow this limbo of alive and dead was better than running wild and free as long as Snow was there. It made little to no sense even for his brain.

Bigby quickly returned to the now as he saw Kelsey follow the gold-toothed bartender through a DOOR…

_**Why**_ would she do that!? Bigby almost tore his hair in frustration as he shoved a drunken customer to the side in pursuit of Brannigan…ehm… Kelsey. He sneaked past a stinking fellow and some deaf-threatening screaming ladies as he approached the door through the bars rumble.

He tried to simply push the door open, but of course that didn't work. Bigby dragged a tired hand over his face as he mumbled swears underneath his breath. This couldn't be happening, Kelsey had in his opinion earned a "NOT-AN-IDIOT" stamp for cleaver behavior and now she immediately started to fuck things up.

Bigby started to get a serious headache of this constant noise in the bar and the thick smell that hung in the air. Not even mentioning that Fucking-Kelsey just had followed an unknown man into a room behind the barcounter, separating her very mortal and wanted self from Bigby's reach.

Bigby glanced around him quickly and briefly wondered if knocking down the door would create a huge commotion or if the tipsy crowd would even notice. He debated with himself for a couple of seconds before deciding that he honestly didn't care.

With a swift front kick he had the door almost of it's highest in the blink of an eye and he stormed into the room with the wolf just barely concealed.

But then he paused. And stared. And after a while sighed in exhaustion.

Kelsey sat at a table with Mr Gold-toothed-smile opposite of her. They seemed to been having a conversation and as far as he could tell a nice one. Somehow Kelsey had the short minutes they'd been separated managed to get her hand on a cup of coffee that she held between her palms in a gentle caress. At the moment both Mr Gold-tooth and Kelsey stared at him, Mr Gold amused and Kelsey irritated.

"The door-", Kelsey began with clear frustration in her voice.

"Oh, don't worry about it", Gold-tooth interrupted her. "We'll take care of it."

He gestured to Bigby to join them as he went over towards a counter inside the surprisingly cozy room, where he produced another cup of coffee.

Bigby didn't move at first. He clearly had misjudged the situation at hand as Kelsey didn't seem to be in mortal danger at the moment. But she had disappeared without a thought of her own safety into a room with a stranger. Bigby watched the huge man as he gently pored coffee into another cup, a strong man that could easily have knocked her down without much effort. Bigby was fairly certain that he would be doing the scolding when they got out of this place.

"Bigby", Kelsey said between gritted teeth, as he continued to stand immobile at the spot. He sighed as he went to join her at the table, being certain to take her side of the wooden board if against all odds Gold-Tooth was connected to the "four brothers" or Mr MB. And thinking of MB…

Bigby tried to recall faces he'd seen at the bar but honestly everything had been a blur with the chaos that had circulated and the pressure from having to worry about Kelsey.

"Don't you dare disappear again", Bigby whispered to Kelsey as Gold-tooth still was fixing the coffee.

"But-"

"No", Bigby interrupted what surely been a lame protest of none valid import what so ever. "Let me rephrase that, If you disappear again while you're hunted by a hunter and an thief, I will personally make sure that you get a collar around your neck with a leash attached to it."

Kelsey gave Bigby a dark look.

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Bigby only growled at her replay. "That's exactly how it is."

"Coffee?" Gold-Tooth reappeared with a cup of steaming coffee that he placed before Bigby. Bigby scowled at the delicious smelling cup as he gave the bartender a suspicions glance.

"Some drinks you offer", he mumbled as he allowed his hand to slither around the warm cup.

"Oh, yar girlfriend told me coffee and who am I to argue when you're the guest." The enormous man laughed as he took ahold of his own cup and took a sip.

Bigby only gave Kelsey a questioned stare at the word girlfriend, which she replayed with a shoulder shrug.

"Actually we're just partners in wo-"

"Well yeah ya're a bit old to be girl- and boyfriend I suppose, so partners ya call it?"

"No", Bigby signed seriously wondering why he was bothering with the correction. They just wanted to find Mr MB, kick him around some to get the proper location to Snow and then make sure that whoever did this wouldn't be able to do it again. Ever.

"About the door", Kelsey said with a shake on her head. "It was partly my fault I shouldn't have left Bigby", she pointed at the ruffian beside her. "On his own. He do so worry about me."

Gold-tooth nodded in understanding with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Young love", he sighed as he took another sip of his coffee.

Bigby tried not to feel disturbed by the display in front of him as he furrowed his brows and jabbed a thumb at the wrecked door.

"Well maybe I wouldn't have destroyed it if the door actually had been open-"

"It was", Gold-Tooth assured him with a calm expression.

Bigby felt his buildup rage deflate a bit at that statement. He'd tried to push the door open… Right?

"No I tried to push the door open, it wouldn't budge."

"Did you try to pull it?" Gold-tooth replayed casually as his eyes twinkled in badly hidden amusement.

"I…" Bigby felt himself at loss of what to say. Had he tried to push the door? He hadn't or had he?

Brannigan snickered beside him. He sent her a piercing glare at her badly hidden amusement. But, he deflated as he thought through his actions; perhaps he should have at least knocked. He took a sip of his coffee after a moment and felt tension disappear as he could testify that the coffee was as good, if not better, as the delicious smell had promised.

They sat for a while and chitchatted. Or rather Mr Gold-Tooth and Kelsey talked, Bigby just stared out the open door at the people that sat in the bar, his eyes searching for a lean man smoking away. Perhaps he'd already returned home for the night?

Mr Gold-tooth obviously had a name, he said his friends liked to call him Ricky but he never said his full name and Kelsey didn't ask, Bigby filed away the information for later. They sat there for about half an hour as Bigby started to give up. He'd watched the crowd now as the view of the bar was surprisingly good from their room behind the bar-counter, especially now with the door out of the way. From here Bigby could see all the people ordering drinks, and oh boy there was people ordering all right.

But still no sight of the lean man. Bigby decided that he needed to switch tactics, so with a huge effort he forced himself to smile pleasantly at Mr Ricky that right now was in the middle of telling Kelsey about that one time when the bar searched through by the FBI.

"Excuse me Mr ehm.. Ricky."

"Yes", Ricky answered and didn't seem to mind being interrupted by the, until now, quiet man.

"It's just that Kelsey and I am looking for a friend we where suppose to meet up here."

"Oh is that so?"

"Yeah", Bigby answered as he studied the man in front of him. Ricky didn't met Bigby's eyes as he fooled around with his empty coffee cup. Bigby immediately got a bad feeling about this. He quickly glanced over to Kelsey beside him but she didn't seem to have noticed that anything was off.

"Anyway", Bigby continued after a moment of hesitation. "He's a regular maybe you know if he's been here tonight?"

Ricky didn't answer the question but nodded absentmindedly for Bigby to go on.

"Mr MB", Bigby said and watched how Ricky tensed for the shorter part of a millisecond, but honestly that was all the prof he needed. Mr MB knew that they had been coming. He'd managed to make Ricky delay them and with their luck the four brothers would be on their way here this very moment.

Bigby didn't hesitate; he leaped over the table and knocked the huge man down from his chair and onto the floor, pining him there.

"Bigby", Kelsey shrieked in shock.

"Close what remains of the door", he growled to her, never letting Ricky go with his eyes. He heard how Kelsey got up from her chair and moved over towards the door with quick movements. As the door was kind of closed he leaned towards Ricky with no doubt glowing eyes, if the mans shaky breathing was anything to go after.

"Enough games", he growled at the man, letting the wolf's feral voice tint his own. "Nice delay", he continued as his grip of the man's wrists tightened. Ricky only let out a whimper as his lips where white with hold back screams.

"Easy", he felt Kelsey's hand on his shoulder as she spoke the words softly to him. He leaned back slightly from the frightened bartenders face.

"The brothers might be coming", Bigby murmured to Kelsey even if he didn't let Ricky out of his sight.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Kelsey inquired as she kept her hand on Bigby's shoulder. "Don't you want to fight them?"

Bigby kept his eyes trained on Ricky, as the man seemed to have somewhat calmed down from the sudden action. Bigby smiled at the man, showing of his sharp teeth and immediately had the man shaking again. Good, the sheriff thought, a calm mind is cunning, a scared one is stupid. He flipped Ricky over and pressed the poor sod face-first to the floor, he secured the man's hands behind his back as he dug down a knee into his lower back. Ricky only grunted in surprise and pain as Kelsey's hand tightened on Bigby's shoulder.

"I don't want to fight them with you here", Bigby answered Kelsey earnestly and tore his eyes away from Ricky's back to glance at the ex-detective. "There's too big a chance that they'll manage to take you again."

Kelsey paled at the thought as she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Bigby gave her a brief smile before returning his attention to this "co-criminal" below him. He dug in his knee harder as Ricky hissed in pain.

"Talk."

Kelsey stood beside him in silent as she watched what was going on with dark eyes. After all, she had been fooled too.

"I seriously don't know anything-"

"You know what", Bigby said to the man in a joyless tone. "I don't feel like abstracting your spine from your body in front of my colleague just yet, so you get one more chance…" Bigby leaned down without easing the bartender's boundaries as he said in a lethal tone. "Don't. Fuck. It. Up."

Ricky swallowed soundly as he seemed to think over his options. He managed to steal a glance at Kelsey who just looked at him with cold eyes and a disapproving frown.

"I recommend that you do as he says", she said in an icy tone and then gestured towards her bandaged shoulder. "Otherwise he'll make true on those threats, don't doubt it."

Ricky seemed to pale even more at those words and according to the trembles in his body he seemed ready to spill everything.

"Dark Forrest inn-" Just as Ricky uttered the last words he silenced, making an odd sound. Bigby glanced at Kelsey but she just stood there as confused as him.

"Hey…" Bigby began, but suddenly Ricky almost threw Bigby off him with a violent spasm.

Ricky's jerks escalated quickly as he began throwing himself around, making it almost impossible for Bigby to hold him down. All while making these odd noises that sounded like a muted gurgling. Kelsey joined Bigby as they both tried to hold down the trashing man while looking at each other with panic in their eyes.

"What the fucks going on!" She screamed at Bigby when Ricky began coughing blood. Bigby looked down at the mess under him, the smell of urine, sweat and blood thick in the air.

"How the fucks should I know", he roared back at her, as Ricky's episode suddenly seemed to have come to an end. Bigby stared at the man that he was currently stranding and almost recoiled at the gruesome sight in front of him. A sea of red seemed to have poured from the man's mouth mixed with something that must have been puke. God he hoped it was puke and not some sick version of coughing up your lungs; it was all covered in red anyway so it was hard to tell.

As Bigby got off the man Kelsey got a clear view of the mess and immediately turned away as she coughed up her lunch. Bigby winched in sympathy as he as last time took ahold of her hair that she'd let out from her usual knot.

"Sorry", she mumbled as she took a deep breath. "I'm usually not this…" she waved a hand towards the body. "Affected."

"**Yeah rather weak-stomach **_**aren't**_** we**?"

As he heard the strange voice from the doorway, Bigby immediately fell into a protective pose in front of Kelsey as he let out a warning growl that almost made the walls vibrate. He heard how Kelsey's heart began thumping a bit faster at the sound as he found himself face to face with a lean man with a mask over his face.

"It's him", Kelsey whispered with a trembling voice as soon as she saw the man in the doorway. "It's the thief!"

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><p>Snow didn't really know how long she'd been here. Not anymore.<p>

This dark room didn't really tell the time of the day and the only indication she had was the visits from the short man with round glasses. At first the man had been afraid of her, scurrying away from the room if she tried to say anything. But it had actually gotten better.

She'd learned not to ask questions about her whereabouts or who he was, because that was a clear way of scaring the small man away. He had yet to actually talk to her, but he had started to bring along food that she could eat. Snow was grateful, as she'd started to get real hungry before he brought her the first meal of sandwiches. Sure she was a fable, she could survive without food, but that didn't mean that she felt the hunger less.

So when he'd started to feed her, she hadn't objected just opened her mouth and taken a bite. Perhaps risky if you think about that she was kidnapped and tied up in an unknown basement… But if you're hungry enough you won't say no to a delicious sandwich, risk of poison or not.

Snow heard a sound from the behind her as a heavy door opened and closed. She was certain that Mr Glasses (as Snows brain had begun to call him) was coming down the basement with another tray of sandwiches and she made herself fall into a relaxed pose. True to thought Mr Glasses arrived before her with the odd light glowing in his hand and a tray with treats for her. Snow smiled pleasantly.

"Good morning Mr." She said as a routine before giving him a small wink, trying to look innocent and sweet. "Or perhaps it's night? I can never tell in here." She signed sadly as she tried to give the short man feelings of guilt. If the brief expression of pain in his face was anything on, she'd succeeded. Snow smirked inside of her carefully arranged façade.

"Oh have you more sandwiches for me", she made her tone cheerful and expectantly as she stared at the tray with happy eyes.

The man nodded hesitantly at her joyful expression before carefully picking up a sliced sandwich and offering it to her mouth. Snow just leaned forward a bit and took ahold of the sandwich with her teeth before working the piece into her mouth with practiced movements.

"Delicious!" She exclaimed with way too much happiness for a normal person. Not that this Glasses guy seemed to be hanging around much normal people anyway…

He smiled slightly at her as he fed her another piece of sandwich with careful movements. Snow had a growing suspicion that he regarded her as a hurt animal, but perhaps that was a good thing as she could play of the damsel in distress in her sleep.

And to be fair hurt animal and princess in a tower was actually awfully alike in more ways than one.

"Thank you", Snow said with a timid smile after devouring all the sandwiches. Mr Glasses cheeks was tinted briefly red as he shyly scraped the ground with his feet.

"Your welcome", he murmured quietly.

Snow's breath caught in her throat as she watched the small man in front of her. This was the _FIRST_ time he'd said something to her. Snow relaxed at once when she noticed her sudden stiffness at his words. It wouldn't do to blow her cover when she finally was getting somewhere!

"Thihi", she giggled softly. Yeah actually giggled, sometimes she surprised herself when it came to the lengths she was prepared to go just to be free. Giggling was something she'd put behind her, in about the same moment that she'd walked in on her fiancé with her sister, in bed…

"You're nice", she followed up her stupid giggling with. Oh god why did she act like a three-year-old-kid? Perhaps freedom was overrated anyway; maybe she should just be more worried on keeping her honor instead of her life?

"Thanks", Mr Glasses answered softly.

Okay scratch that, Mr Glasses had just uttered three words to her under one minute, the stupid act was definitely staying. This was gold!

"You know", she said with overplayed thoughtfulness. "I call you Mr Glasses." She giggled a bit at that statement, as to show how silly she thought it be. Mr Glasses just watched her with open honest eyes. Snow felt almost a bit guilty for tricking him with the "look-how-harmlessly-stupid-and-cute-I-am"- act. But just _almost_.

"But", she continued after her giggles died down. "You must have a name? Like you don't call yourself Mr Glasses?" Snow made herself suddenly look confused. "Or do you?"

Mr Glasses smiled kindly at her as he glanced behind her, where the door was. As if making sure that no one could here nor see them.

Snow forced herself to appear relaxed and curious even thought her heart hammered in her chest.

"You can call me Wilhelm", Mr Glasses whispered to her. Or perhaps _Wilhelm_ whispered to her.

"Wilhelm", Snow said the name aloud as if she tasted it for the first time. "I like it!" She declared a second later with a bright smile.

Wilhelm just returned the smile and started to move away from her with a pained expression.

"I have to go", he said with a guilt-lanced voice. "But I'll come back soon with more food."

"But… Do you have to?" Snow asked with a sad tone to her three-year-old impression of a voice. "Willie?" She said with a frown on her forehead.

Wilhelm jerked a little as she called him Willie but the began backing towards the door once again.

"Just relax, sleep", he said soothingly. "Then I'll be back before you know it… I… uhm… Bye." He disappeared in the darkness together with the light he'd brought with him. Snow stared at the spot where he'd disappeared.

Wilhelm.

It was a name all right… A lot more than she'd imagined she would have had after their first brief encounter.

She figured that there was just a question of time, of playing her little act convincing. This Wilhelm seemed to feel guilty about her being locked down here, in a dark and cold basement without being able to move because of the creepers. Perhaps she could turn him against the brothers? Or against his brothers? Whichever way it might be… But for the moment she tried not to feel guilty. Why should she really? She was locked in this basement, tied to a chair and scrapes all over her face and knees. They hadn't even treated her after the manhandling in the parking lot!

Sure perhaps Wilhelm hadn't man-hauled her, but he was well and damn a part of whatever organization this was. So… In a way he was as guilty as the brothers. He knew she sat in the basement tied to a chair, kidnapped. She shouldn't feel guilty about using him, on the record he should feel pain for doing this to her! For being part of an evil organization that hurt people, threatened to kill them and didn't pull their punches.

No, no guilt over being manipulative. If Bigby were here she wouldn't be afraid of unleashing him on this… this Wilhelm…

Snow signed. Okay maybe she wouldn't go that far, Bigby wasn't really someone you could unleash either. He was just someone who protected you the way he saw fit, nothing more or less…

Snow relaxed into her boundaries as she stared into the darkness… She would have to do this; if she felt so bad to fool Wilhelm she could always apologize afterwards. But for the moment she would have to embrace the concept "cold as ice" as she would find a way to get out of this mess. After all she wasn't afraid, she'd already met horror personified and something like this didn't even unnerve her anymore.

Just have to stay focused and forget the guilt, she thought weary.

* * *

><p>Kelsey watched the black dressed man casually lean against the doorframe to the room stationed behind the bar-counter. His faced was hidden behind a white mask that only left two holes to reveal his eyes. Eyes as black as his clothes. She tried unsuccessfully to suppress a shudder.<p>

Outside of their room was the bar still full of people who laughed, sang or danced around. All while ordering new drinks from Tally who seemed to have jumped in to fill up the bartender role. In here was it dead quiet, decoration was a dead body and the room was filled with tension so thick it suffocated you. Not to mention a Bigby seconds from transforming shielding her.

It was actually kind of flattering that he'd reacted at the danger by putting himself between her and the threat.

Kelsey allowed her eyes to roam over their assaulter who still seemed relaxed even if his stance had stiffened somewhat at Bigby's growl. Not that Kelsey blamed him, she herself had half a heart attack first time she'd heard it.

She scanned the room quickly as the thief seemed preoccupied with keeping his eyes on Bigby's every movement. Not that he moved much mind you, he was more just standing in front of her, ready to jump into action at the slightest movement from the thief.

The room they where in didn't have any doors except the one they'd entered, it did have a small window, but nothing that would make an escape possible. There was a counter further in and the table where they had been offered coffee by… urgh… Ricky. Kelsey tired not to look at the messed up body of Ricky. He'd been nice in a way, even thought he had delayed them on purpose with meaningless conversations. But why had he died?

Kelsey just had to glance at the thief and she realized that it must have been him. The thief must somehow have heard that Ricky was about to spill the beans and manage to what? Poison him?

She remembered a case that she'd been assigned to a few years back. There'd been a poisoning serial killer on the loose and he'd managed to kill five people in a bit over a month. They had managed to catch the creep but problem was that neither her nor any of her colleagues knew how to prove his guilt. All they had was an off the record confession that wasn't so much a confession as a sick laughter filled with joy. Enough for them, but not for the judge.

The thing was that they couldn't find how he'd poisoned his victims. It wasn't by food, drink or anything else they thought of. That's when they had found the blow darts. Small stick-looking-things that usually detached themselves from their victim after a minute or so leaving his prey free of any outer traces to how they'd been poisoned.

This was the same. Kelsey could almost bet her life on it.

"He poisoned Ricky", she whispered to Bigby, hoping the thief wouldn't hear them over the bars rumble outside this room.

"I figured", he said back without letting his eyes drift from the thief in front of them. Kelsey stayed put as she too began observing the thief at the door. They just stood so for a moment, nobody moving, observing each other with clear dislike.

"Soooo…" the thief said after a while and straightened up from his position against the doorframe. He unfolded his arms and held his hands in clear view as to show that he wasn't carrying any weapons. It didn't really do anything for Kelsey as she just stared at the man with hard eyes, not letting her be fooled to relaxation.

"I guess that you want Ms White back?" he then stated calmly.

Bigby answered with a feral growling, making goose bumps appear on Kelsey's arms.

"I'll get her back all right"; he answered in more of an animalistic snarl than a human voice.

"No need to start with threats-"

"Oh no, you misunderstand me", Bigby interrupted the thief. "I'm making promises."

Kelsey almost snorted at that, but held her mask at their assaulter watched Bigby with something of a crossing between fear and amusement.

"So very predictable of you Mr Wolf."

"Fuck. Off." Bigby spat the words at the man as he took a step closer to the thief. The thief didn't really seem concerned over Bigby getting closer; in fact he just raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Well if you wanted me to leave, you could just have said so. As it is now I was just going to deliver a message from my employer, but if you rather I leave..." He let the unfinished sentence hang in the air as he took a step back, standing in the doorframe once again.

Bigby only growled in annoyance as he stayed put in front of Kelsey with glowing eyes.

"Tell us then", Kelsey said, as the Sheriff was ghostly quiet except for the warning rumble that was an ongoing sound.

The thief raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"Oh Ms Brannigan, we quite underestimated you last time." His eye's hardened as he watched her with a predatory expression in his black eyes. "I can promise you it won't happen again."

Kelsey wondered if she should shudder at the man's threats, seeing as Ricky lay dead in the room, she probably should. But she had frankly come across such horrors the last 48 hours that she was numb. So she just stared right back into those black eyes with an expression of annoyance and rage.

"Oh", the thief exclaimed in a joyful voice. "Someone's gotten brave since last time."

Kelsey scowled at the thief's remark but held her ground: "What kind of deal are you talking about?"

The thief seemed to think for a while as he grew quiet and signed in defeat.

"I guess I'll have to tell you", he grumbled as if they had forced him to talk. Which was ridiculous as he was the one who'd come here with a preposition to declare. But Kelsey said nothing, as she didn't really feel the need to argue over such petty things with someone who held Snow hostage. She just bid her time, like Bigby but with less growling.

"Oh well I better say it now or MB's gonna give it to me." The thief gave them an apologizing smile. "Well here's the deal. My employer thinks you can come to an agreement and wants to meet you to discuss… " He waved a hand in front of him as if trying to remember the right words. "…This peculiar situation."

"Kidnapping you mean?" Kelsey interfered with a poisoned tone.

"Yeah, whatever you choose to call it…"

"What _**WE**_ choose to call it", Bigby's voice echoed in the small room as he spoke up.

"Yes well, I suppose it's called kidnapping…" The thief gave a tired sigh as he scratched himself on his chin under the mask. "Tonight 11 PM under the Buckingham Bridge. Then you can meet Mr MB to… discuss this matter." He stood still a few more moments as if trying to read Bigby or Kelsey's intentions. When none of them moved he seemed content and turned away to leave the room. Then he stopped suddenly, as if he'd forgotten to tell them something important. He turned around and gave both of them a warning look.

"Just so you know", he said slowly. "If you try to stop me from leaving or if you try anything at the Buckingham Bridge…" he stared intently at Bigby as he said sharply: "We have Ms White."

He seemed content with his message as he waved them goodbye before vanishing into the crowd of the bar, leaving them alone in the room with Ricky's corpse as only company. Not really a comforting thought.

"I think he's gone", Kelsey whispered after a while as she kept on staring through the door at the people in the bar.

"Yeah", Bigby sounded tired as he replayed her and a bit remorseful.

"What do we do?"

"We go back to the office", Bigby dragged a hand over his face as he turned from the door to stare at Kelsey. She noticed his glowing eyes that shone bright in the dim room, the rage and tiredness evident in his stare.

"We don't have much time", she pointed out as she stared at her wrist clock. "The clock's already 6 AM."

"Yeah", he replayed as he watched the body on the floor beside them. "I guess we have to do something about this?"

Kelsey winched at the thought. "I suppose."

Bigby turned a pair of concerned eyes her way as he dragged her away from the mess.

"Let me call some people who'll take care of it. Right now we need to think this through. Carefully."

Kelsey nodded gratefully at Bigby's words as she let herself be led out from the room. She honestly didn't think she would have been able to do something about Ricky's body. The whole affair with his death had been so violent and gruesome that even thought she was a detective and even thought she should be used to… corpses, she wasn't. Not when she'd held down the man dying herself, not when she might be a factor to why the man died. That was too personal, too close to home to put up a professional wall of indifference.

Bigby dragged her out from the room, out from the bar and past Tally who tried to wave his goodbye as he saw them leaving. Kelsey felt sick.

She found herself seated in a cab next to Bigby as she let her body relax for the first time since they got in the bar and wasn't really surprised when she started crying. There was no sobbing or wailing, just tears of exhaustion that rolled down her cheeks as she let out a shaking breath.

"How're you feeling", Bigby murmured beside her as he gave her a concerned glance.

"I don't really know", Kelsey replied as she tried to smile at the sheriff, but only managed a strained grimace.

Bigby continued to watch her as she began to calm down all while scolding herself that she couldn't continue like this. They needed to find Snow, to close this case. But somehow this was almost too much drama for her to handle, it felt like they'd just escaped a mess when they managed to get into a new one. But there was no turning back, she would have to deal with it until the whole thing was resolved, then maybe she could take Tom's advice and get a break from work. Maybe they could take that vacation he'd been nagging her about since the day they started dating?

If Tom would still want her that is…

Kelsey felt like palming her face as she realized that this would change her entire life. Would she even be allowed to remember anything of what had happened? Or would she be memory-swiped as just another… what was it fables called them? _Mundy_? Could she even be memory-swiped or would she have to be supervised her whole life to make sure that she didn't tell on them? Would they make sure she stayed quiet in another way...?

The former NYPD detective shook her head. No, Bigby wouldn't let _that_ happen, Kelsey had no doubt in her mind that the sheriff would do anything in his power to prevent his friends for getting harmed. And they were friends… In a colleagues-sort-of-way.

Kelsey looked up at Bigby who was still watching her with concerned eyes.

"I'm okay", she said as she wiped her cheeks and straightened herself in the cab seat. The sheriff let his eyes roam over her features for a second before nodding in approval and looking away, deep in thought.

They just sat beside one another as the cab made its way to Bullfinch Street across a busy New York. It was going to be a long night; Kelsey had no doubt about it.

* * *

><p>Allan walked down to the drunk tanks in the building. He went past the new nightly visitors as he had a special tank in mind. As he came to the far end of the corridor he stopped and watched the insides of the small space. On the bed sat a young man. His blond hair was tousled and his clothes were dirty, Allan just watched him with badly hidden disgust.<p>

"Giovanni", the head of NYPD said as the man look up from his blank staring at the sound of his name.

"Yes", the man said with a hoarse voice looking lost.

"Even thought it pains me to say this, somehow a drunken gambler like you still has people who cares about you. So I just came to inform you that if things go according to plan you will be released next week."

Giovanni didn't really look happy at the information, instead he looked guilty and also a little bit sad at the prospect of being out of this prison. Allan didn't dive into theories of why Giovanni wouldn't be glad about getting out of here, but he had his suspicions.

"You", Giovanni met Allan's eyes with a clear worry evident in his own. "You won't make _**him**_ do something dangerous, something bad?"

Allan sighed at Giovanni's fear.

"It doesn't really matter", Allan looked sharp at Giovanni. "He's an extraordinary man, with extraordinary ability's whose only weakness is"; Allan pointed his finger towards the blond man in front of him. "You."

Giovanni's sorrow was clear in his eyes.

"So I need your man's help with _something_", Allan watched his wrist watch and tried to calculate when he would be home. Rose would be mad if he was late for their weekly family dinner.

"_Something_?" Giovanni interrupted the head of NYPD's dinner thoughts as Allan returned to the now.

"Yeah", he said and began to turn away from the drunk tank, set on leaving for home. "A little something called _revenge_."

* * *

><p>AN Hello! You've made it through! Awesome:)

Greetings! All you who are still with me even thought my monthly update are somewhat… less monthly then what I hoped. Much has happened in my life and well, I guess you can say that writing have been close to non-existent, sadly enough. University has taken up A-Lot of my time as well as new friends and new hobbies but I will try to finish this story because there are (Believe it or not) people who appreciates it and that is UN-BELIEV-ABLE awesome!;)

I would like to thank you who reads it because if the mails had stopped coming about reviews, favorites and alerts I would not have gotten up another chapter this soon!

So thank you! And forgive a young soul for delays but my goal is to finish this one way or another! T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U!

Also as I side note, I've changed this story to M rated because… violence duh;)

Until next time… Stay Awesome, Stay _Special_! :)


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